Something Happened Here (Marauder era story)
by aniemoses
Summary: "Well maybe I don't want to try being nice to you," I shot back. "Yeah that would be pretty hard for you to do, because then you might admit to yourself that you actually like me," He said. My aunt's words rang through my head, 'girl you better kiss him or slap him senseless.' Marauder era love story
1. Chapter 1

The summer breeze danced across my skin as I laid in the grass with my best friend watching the clouds.

"I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts," Lily sighed.

"Me either," I agreed with a delighted hum in my voice, "it's unbelievable how close we are to our last year at Hogwarts."

"Juliet my dear, you've been so melodramatic about finishing up at Hogwarts. We're only going into our fifth year and we have two years after this. Please save your sobbing until then," She huffed propping herself up on her elbows.

I turned my head toward her with a hurtful glare, "Why must you be so cruel to me?"

She sighed, "I'm not being hurtful. You have had this same routine since going into our third year, and every year I tell you to shut up about it."

My head rolled against the grass as I laughed, "I don't see how you put up with me."

"You have some pretty good moments so that's probably why," She shrugged.

Rolling my eyes I sat up, "Well if you're finished making fun of me I think I'll head home to finish packing."

"That sounds like a good idea," She got up reaching for my hand to help pull me up, "I'll see you in the morning on the train."

"See you then," I grinned, "Just think, this time tomorrow all this peacefulness will be gone and replaced with our two oh-so lovely stalkers."

"Please do not bring those prats up I was having a good day," Lily groaned.

"Sorry sorry," I snorted, "Drama queen."

"Goodbye Juliet," She grumbled.

"Farewell my beautiful Lilypad!" I shouted as she walked away from me.

"I hate you!" She shouted back, but before she could get too far away I heard the ring of her laughter.

I took my usual path home from the park. Lily and I are both muggle born witches that attend Hogwarts. We became great friends our first year there and soon learned that we didn't live too far away from each other. This made our holiday plans better than just sending letters back and forth, like we do with our other friends. Lily and I get along well because of all we have in common and all we don't. Were both pretty adventurous but also really care about our grades at school. Lily is a bit more social than I am, not that I don't have friends outside of Lily, I just like to focus more on the little stuff rather than having a large group of friends and acquaintances.

An unfortunate thing we both have in common is something called a Marauder, a namesake they've given themselves, stalker. James Potter has given almost all of his attention to my dear Lily and has made a lot of effort into trying to get her to go out on a date with him. My situation is exactly the same, except his name is Sirius Black. Now not all of the Marauders are as terrible as these two. I'm actually good friends with their more laid-back friend Remus Lupin. He's been my saving grace with end of year exams by helping me study when he can.

I finally made it back home where I live with my great aunt Tracy Holden. Who is a very small lady, just barely over 50, who insisted on taking me in after my parents got into a deadly car crash with a drunk driver leaving my mother dead and father comatose. As upsetting as it is I was only six when it happened and I kept myself going by listening to what my mother used to tell me; "It goes on." I can't keep going on if I dwell in how sad losing my parents at such a young age so I'll keep going. Hopefully.

I walked up the path into the house, "I'm home!"

"Oh thank goodness, I didn't think you'd make it back to finish your packing," my aunt Tracy sighs in relief from the kitchen, "I know how you are in the morning if you're rushing to pack."

"Yeah I know, it happened once and I'm never letting it happen again. Trust me," I said walking in the kitchen to check that she wasn't doing anything crazy-like going on a cooking-spree again, "I'll be upstairs th- what are you doing?"

The kitchen, of course, was a mess.

"I decided I wanted to bake you some treats for the train ride tomorrow so you wouldn't have to buy anything but then I couldn't decide what to make," She innocently said looking over her mess.

"You're unbelievable," I stated, "Crazy even."

She huffed, "Well it's a good thing I didn't ask for your feedback. Go finish your packing we're having muffins and cake for dinner."

"Whatever you say," I said holding my hands up in defense backing away from her slowly. After receiving one final smouldering look from her I made my way upstairs to my room.

Of course the gift I received upon entering my room was from my cat, Cooley, who made it his mission to organize my trunk, I had left open and half packed on my bed, just so he could sleep in it.

"Why must you behave his way Cooley?" I asked him picking him up out of my trunk causing him to wake up, "I'm trying to pack for Hogwarts, you love being at Hogwarts so why do you make it so hard for me to pack?"

I placed my now grumpy cat on my pillows and began to repack and finish packing my trunk. By the time I finished and finally got my trunk to successfully close, on the second try, my aunt had already brought me up some muffins to munch on and now I was just about ready for bed.

"I'm heading to bed now so goodnight!" I called out my room for my aunt to hear. With her faint goodnight back I closed the door and collapsed onto my bed to sleep for the night.

Like clockwork I was woken up by my cat jumping on my shoulders and licking my hair.

"See you knew we were going to Hogwarts you were just being an ass yesterday," I grumbled into my pillow.

"Rise and shine it time to get going!" My aunt called in after pounding on my door.

"I'm up! Give me a few and I'll be down!" I called back and pushed up from my mattress knocking my cat to the floor.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I walk over the the mirror to give myself a look-over. My hair is barely past my collar bones and is rather choppy so after running my fingers through it a couple of times it's good to go. I throw on a plain black t-shirt and some jeans making my wardrobe for half of today pretty simple. Cooley is already sitting in his cage waiting as I slip his a few treats and close it. I threw on shoes and jacket before grabbing my trunk and Cooley's cage to lug downstairs. I got my stuff in my aunt's rather tiny car and she handed me a small parcel of treats.

"For the train ride as I said," She smiled and got in the drivers side waiting for me to get in before starting the car and driving away.

"Now, I know you know my whole spiel about doing your best and studying hard despite me having no knowledge of what it's like to be in your shoes. So this year I thought I would spare you the same old speech," My aunt Tracy said with her eyes on the road but her heart in the right place.

"Yeah I know it's been five years now," I said, "It's about time you got some new material."

She gave me a sarcastic glance as she turned the street corner, "I hate to agree, but you are a bit older now so I think you understand the importance of doing well in school."

"Thanks to you I always will," I grinned.

"But what you can't forget is to enjoy yourself. Yes of course your grades are important but sometimes you just need to take some risks and go a little crazy. Not like off the deep end crazy, just normal having fun crazy. Take a risk sometimes," She said.

I sat there in a little bit of a shock with what she said. I blinked a few times before saying, "Wow, that was pretty deep."

"Oh stop being a sarcastic ass," She huffed.

"Hey, I learn that from you," I defended.

"I know," She grumbled, "but I am being serious. Last night I was going through some of my old things from when I was in school. It made me remember that although I cared a lot about my education, I sometimes forgot to have a little fun here and there. Our schooling situation may be a bit different but it's all the advice I've got."

"It is some good advice. So thank you, I'll keep it in mind," I smiled.

She returned the smile, "You know I met Mr. Holden during school."

"You did?" I asked she never really talked about their younger years.

"Yeah we used to hate each other," She snorted, "We fought all the time, usually over something petty."

I blinked, shocked. The first thought that popped in my head was of one of the most annoying creatures on earth, but I quickly got rid of those thoughts.

"I can't see you hating Mr. Holden, you two were practically made for each other," I said ruffling my fingers through my hair recalling the little time I had knowing both of them together.

"It seems so, but that's just how we were," She shrugged, "Then something just made us come to our senses."

"What made you?" I asked curiously.

"One day we were in a little argument and I just had this sudden urge to kiss him, so I did," she said simply.

I smiled at her and laughed in disbelief.

"You didn't," I said.

She nodded, "He just had this look on his face and the only thing in my head that I could think of was 'girl you better kiss him or slap him senseless.' As it turned out we both really liked each other."

"You have got to be the craziest woman I've ever met," I laughed.

"Well there's always a method to my madness," she smiled as she pulled into a parking spot.

"Thank you for the ride," I smiled and hugged her goodbye and got out of the car getting my trunk and cat.

"Owl me if you need anything dear," she said and then drove off as I went into the station putting my thing on a cart.

I ran through the wall and arrived to the platform. Getting on the train I immediately started looking for Lily through the crowds of people. Luckily I saw her fiery red hair go into a compartment.

"Lily!" I called out and her head whipped out looking for me in the crowd.

When she saw me she smile and waved me towards her. I pushed my way through the crowd until I made it to the compartment.

"Lily! I haven't seen you since yesterday!" I laughed.

"I know it's been so long!" She exclaimed.

I put my stuff up and fed Cooley some more treats in his cage that he didn't even bother touching because he was sleeping. Lily and I hugged then sat down and started talking until some of our friends came and joined us to catch up.

"I'll be right back," I said getting up leaving the compartment to go to the restroom.

On my way back I had just slid open the door to the compartment when someone grabbed my hand.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to look any more beautiful than when I last saw you, but here you are proving me wrong," they said.

I looked up to see Black holding my hand in his, I held back the vomit the best I could.

"What do you want?" I said disgusted pulling my hand out of his.

He gave me a what I could only think was his best charming look, "how's about a date?"

"In your dreams Black," I rolled my eyes.

"How did you know?" He asked, "So that must be a yes, first Hogsmeade trip then."

"Have fun by yourself," I said uninterested and slid into my compartment shutting the door quickly behind me, "Lily, never let me leave your sight again."

"Don't worry were nearly at Hogwarts so get that good mood back and I'll never leave your side," She grinned knowing the look I had on my face only meant one thing; a Marauder.

"Okay I think I can do that," I said sitting back in my seat as we started up another conversation on what we've done over the summer holiday's and how excited we are for yet another year of Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

I sat next to Lily in the Great Hall while we watched the sorting.

"I wonder who our new defense against the dark arts teacher is going to be?" I whispered to Lily as the sorting continued.

"I don't know guess we'll have to wait and see, its a shame what happened to the last one though. The poor guy left crying from what I heard," She whispered back.

"Well we can only blame the four worst people in history for that one," I mumbled.

"I know he wasn't that bad of a teacher," She said.

"Oh please Lily you only like him because he was attractive," I rolled my eyes at her.

"And you're denying that you weren't attracted to him?" She mused.

"That is a completely different story," I said.

We silenced ourselves as the sorting came to an end and Dumbledore began his speech. It was the same as they always were so I sat there playing with the hem of skirt until finally it was over and the food appeared.

We enjoyed the feast to the very last bite.

"Looks like they're starting to dismiss the first years, shall we find ourselves a prefect and get the password?" Lily asked.

"We shall," I agreed and we linked our arms together getting up from the table scanning the mess of people for a Gryffindor prefect.

When I found one I gasped, "Oh merlin."

"What?" Lily asked straining to see where I was looking.

"Come on," I laughed and pulled her with me, "Who in their right mind let you be a prefect?"

The sandy haired boy turned to me rolling his eyes, "Hey, who am I to argue with who makes the rules."

"Well Remus, congratulations on this achievement in life. Now may my dear friend and I have the password to our common room?" I asked kindly.

"Sure, it's 'tapeworm', also I'd hurry out, James and Sirius are heading this way and they haven't spotted you guys yet," He warned.

"You're a blessing Remus," I patted his arm and ducked into the crowd with Lily pulling me along.

We unfortunately didn't escape very far before the two unpleasant beings caught up with us looping their arms in our free arms.

Lily and I shared a very tired look.

"Evening ladies," Potter said grinning at Lily.

"Lovely evening for a nice stroll don't you think?" Black said.

"It was a nice evening," I muttered bitterly.

"What's the matter love not happy to see me?" He pouted taking my hand holding it to his chest. I had to force my eyes to not roll.

"My idea is to just ignore them and maybe they'll go away," she said to me embracing her plan.

"Ouch Evans that hurts," James said putting his hand on his chest, just over his heart. "Oh would you look at that its the common room," I said casually and we tried to get away from them.

"Running away so fast?" Black asked in a tone that almost made me believe he could be hurt.

"Not fast enough," I said sweetly.

"Good luck," Lily said as she got lucky and slipped away running up to the girls dorm. I glared at her as she ran away.

"You know sometimes I feel like it's your goal to be so mean to me," he said.

"What would ever make you think that?" I asked in fake disbelief.

"The fact that you refuse to go on one date with me," he said.

"I would but I just have so many things to do that doesn't involve being around you," I said a sweetly as possible.

He raised his eyebrow, "really now?"

"I'm afraid so," I said sadly, "it's a shame but there is really nothing I can do about it."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out that will give you some free time," he said in his usual flirtatious tone.

"If I do, I'll let you know," I clearly lied then tried walking off only to be pulled back to face him. I completely forgot he had my hand.

"Going somewhere love?" He asked smirking.

"As a matter of fact I was," I said snatching my hand away.

"Sweet dreams Juliet," he said as I turned to leave. I looked back at him.

"As long as you're not in them ill be fine," I said and smiled sweetly at him and then went upstairs to my dorm.

I woke up that morning with a cat sitting on my stomach staring at me.

"Cooley I swear you are the strangest cat ever," I told him and lightly pushed him off of my stomach getting up.

I rubbed my eye and yawning wishing for a few more hours of sleep I knew would never be granted. I got out of bed and got dressed in my uniform getting ready to start classes today. Lily was already up before me and got finished getting ready for the day just about the same time as me.

"I hope we have classes together," I said as we walked downstairs into the common room.

"Me too but what I hope for more is no potter or black in any of my classes," she said walking out the portrait.

"I couldn't agree with you anymore," I said and began counting the steps on our way into the Great Hall for breakfast.

Professor McGonagall gave us our schedules and bid us a good morning. We scanned them over then quickly compared them before either of us could grab some food.

"Okay we have three classes together," she said.

"Potions, transfiguration and defense," I listed.

"Not to mention our lunch break," she added.

"I'm okay with this," I said scanning them over again, "You're taking Ancient Studies?"

She shrugged a murmured a yes as she began to serve herself breakfast.

"So Potions is first," I said casually eating my own breakfast, "I wonder what house we'll share that class with."

She gave me a dull look, "Lets not start this conversation so soon."

"What conversation? There is no conversation, I understand completely when that you decide to leave your friend for a much smarter friend in class," I said.

"I am not doing that!" She exclaimed, "Severus is my friend too, I don't understand why you don't like him."

"I understand completely," I said and finished my juice, "Shall we leave for class?" I threw my schedule in my bag before slinging it over my shoulder.

We walked down to the dungeons and made it to our potions class. We gladly took a seat relatively close to the front. It was our best choice to not get stuck by the marauders.

"Alright everyone just take a seat for now ill have your assigned seats made up by tomorrow so don't get too comfy. And Mr. Black that goes for having your feet on the desk," Slughorn said calling the class to attention.

"Sorry professor I just like making myself as comfortable as possible to get through a lesson," I turned and saw Black sitting next to Remus with his feet propped up on the table. He saw me look back and he winked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Honestly professor he has a point. If we're going to sit here and learn we might as well be comfortable while doing it," Potter, who was sitting behind black, added.

"Feet off the table now or you'll be losing your house points already," Slughorn warned.

Thankfully they stayed quiet and put their feet down so we could continue on with our first lesson of the year. After class I looked at my schedule to see that I had a free period. Lily had to go to her arithmancy class so that left me to myself. I walked down the halls just wandering around until my next class.

"Fancy seeing you here," a mischievous voice said from behind me.

I jumped and turned and was now looking at Black.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked harshly.

"Well a date would be nice," he suggested.

"Not gonna happen," I said.

He pouted but before anything else could be said Mrs. Norris meowed and appeared at the end of the hall.

"Oh crap he's onto me," I heard him mutter to himself.

"What did you do now?" I asked.

"No time to explain," he said, "we might want to run before Filch shows up."

At first I didn't react bit when we heard Filch rounding the corner I knew standing here would just get me into trouble. So we took off running down the hall trying to lose him by running into different rooms. Filch was just about to catch us when a small door seemed to just appear, or I could just be seeing things. Black took notice in the door and pulled both of us inside the room before Filch could round the corner on us.

"Care to explain what just happened?" I panted.

"Well I might have pranked Filch and I didn't want him catching you near the crime scene and getting you in trouble," he said.

"Well thanks I guess," I muttered, "where are we anyways?" I looked around the rather dim room.

"No idea," he said walking around.

"It's an empty room," I claimed.

"There's something over here," he said and walked over to something large. A little odd for an empty room, I followed to investigate.

"It's a mirror," he said.

"Would you look at that he's a genius," I said sarcastically.

This time, he rolled his eyes. He stood in front of it to get a better look at it, more like himself.

"Wait..what?" I heard he say to himself.

I looked over at him and saw a very confused expression across his face. He looked down at his hand as he turned it expecting to see something that wasn't there.

"What kind of mirror is this?" He asked.

I shrugged and went to take a better look at the mirror but he pulled me over to where he was standing.

"Just look you'll see what I'm talking about," he said.

I looked at him like he was crazy but look at the mirror anyways as he backed away from me. I saw myself standing there. I didn't think anything was wrong other than the fact that the me in the mirror looked a little happier. Then the weirdest thing happened. I watched through the mirror as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I was about to yell at Black when I noticed that there were no actual arms wrapped around me.

"Huh...?" I said confused.

I looked up to see a mans face resting on my shoulder. He would look at the mirror me face and grin at her like she was his only reason to be smiling. He kissed me on the cheek and my cheeks would turn pink. I noticed how my body language in the mirror seem to relax into this man. I looked at them for a moment longer until I realized who the man was. I gasped shocked and turned out of sight from the mirror.

"What the hell?" I asked slowly.

"What did you see?" Black asked me.

I jumped having forgotten he was still in the room.

"I...I don't understand," I managed to say.

He went to ask me something else but I cut him off.

"I have to go." I quickly left running off to my next class wanting to forget what I just saw.


	3. Chapter 3

"What is up with you?" Lily whispered to me in Transfiguration making me jump.

"Nothing, I'm fine," I whispered back.

"Really? Because you just jumped like three feet in the air," She said.

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by professor McGonagall, "Am I interrupting your conversation ladies?"

"Sorry professor," We both said shutting up immediately.

She gave us both a look like we should know better, "Now I will be placing you all in your assigned seats."

I mentally groaned knowing I probably wouldn't be sitting next to Lily. Moments later she nearly had everyone placed in their seats. But I was left standing with only one other person.

"Ms. Walker this will be your seat and Mr. Black the next seat over," She said walking up the front of the classroom. I gave the back of her head the look of hatred and forced myself to my seat. Lily turned and gave me an apologetic look.

It went something like that for almost every class I had that day. Only one class I wasn't stuck with him and that was my care of magical creatures class.

I groaned walking in my dorm after dinner falling face first onto my bed.

"Bad day?" I heard Lily ask

I rolled over onto my bed so I was laying on my back now, "You have no idea. So how was your day Lily?"

"Potter is in almost every single one of my classes," She said.

"I'm stuck sitting next to Black in all of mine, not to mention he almost got me in trouble in my free period," I said.

"Merlin what happened this time?" She asked.

"I don't even know what he did but we had to run from Filch," I said biting the inside of my cheek thinking about if I should tell Lily about the mirror.

"Is there something on your mind Juliet?" Lily asked concerned.

"Just a little," I said like a child sitting up on my bed crossed legged.

"Are you going to fill me in?" She asked.

I sighed, " I don't know how to explain this really, but when Filch was chasing us we hid from him in this room. It was basically empty room but there was this mirror..." I trailed off unsure of how to describe the object and what it did.

"You were locked in a room with black with nothing but a mirror?"she asked, "you were having a bad day. I'm so sorry."

"That's not the point of my story, but it was pretty terrible," I laughed.

"He was probably too busy checking himself out you could've ran for it," She said.

"That's what I thought and then we found out that there was something strange about the mirror," I said.

"What do you mean?" She asked tilting her head.

"Well he was acting all strange when he looked in the mirror, then he had me look in the mirror," I paused, "at first I thought he was messing with me but he was standing nowhere near me."

"I'm confused," she said.

"I saw him in the mirror and he was nowhere near me," I elaborated, "in the mirror he was standing right behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist but really no one was there."

"That's so weird," she said.

"I know. I just want to forget it all happened and sleep," I said. Cooley jumped up on my bed and curled next to my pillow falling asleep.

"I wish I could sleep like this cat can," I said getting up to change into my pajamas.

"We all know you do. Sleeping is one of your favorite activities," Lily teased.

"Is that a problem?" I asked pulling my covers back on my bed.

"No I just don't see how you passed potions when you slept through half of his lessons last year," she said.

"He can be so boring, sometimes I don't even realize I've fallen asleep," I said.

I got into bed and pulled the covers up and grabbed my bag.

"Of course you haven't," I heard her mutter as she got ready for bed.

I pulled my schedule out of my bag looking it over.

"Okay tomorrow I bet you ten galleons that Slughorn seats me next to Black just like every single one of my classes," I wagered.

"Hey you never know you might get lucky," she said.

"No I'm lucky after lunch because he isn't in my care of magical creatures class," I said.

She was silent for a moment when she got into bed. I put my bag back down on the floor and I laid down on my pillow.

"What do you think that mirror was," Lily asked suddenly.

"I don't know. A mirror that tortured you?" I suggested staring at the canopy.

"Huh..." She said, "well good night."

"Night Lils," I said and closed my eyes to go to bed.

"I believe you now owe me ten galleons," I leaned over to Lily at the table in potions we now shared with Remus and Black.

"We never made that bet official," she said.

"Fine I guess I'll let you off the hook this one time," I grumbled sitting back in my seat.

She rolled her eyes at me.

A piece of paper landed on the table I was currently zoning out on. My eyebrows scrunched together as I unfolded it.

'And just when I thought you couldn't get more adorable, you look like you're ready to fall asleep'

Though I didn't really recognize the handwriting, I knew exactly who it was from. I looked up at Black and rolled my eyes at him. He grinned at me.

'What do you want?' I wrote back slipping the paper back to him.

He read over the paper and rolled his eyes at it. He wrote back a reply passing it back to me.

'Do I always have to want something? Can't I just talk to you?'

I bit my lip thinking of a reply.

'Usually you'll be bugging me to go on a date with you by now.'

I gave him the paper. I notice Lily gave me an odd questioning look.

"Later," I mouth to her. She nodded and continued taking notes on the lesson. The paper was back in front of me and I read his response.

'Looks like I'm just full of all kinds of surprises.' His reply said.

I looked up at him and gave him a 'really?' Kind of look that only caused his grin to grow. I was just about to write back when he took the paper back to add something. When I got it back I looked at it curiously as I read what he added.

'What did you see in the mirror?'

I mentally groaned in my head, but did my best to look completely uninterested. I wished that he would just forget what happened yesterday but of course he wouldn't.

'It was a scary monster' I lied giving him back the paper.

'Okay I may not be the brightest but I know it wasn't a "scary monster".'

'It was close enough.'

'Just tell me.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't want to.'

'Well that's stupid.'

'No it's not.'

'Yes it is.'

'Why don't you tell me what you saw then.'

He hesitated with his reply.

'I asked you first.'

'Don't be such a child.'

'But it's so more fun this way.'

I rolled my eyes.

"Alright class is dismissed be ready to make a potion tomorrow," Slughorn said and I got up putting my book and the paper in my bag leaving the room with Lily.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"I'll tell you at lunch," I said as we walked down the hall.

"Why won't you just tell me?" Black asked appearing at my side out of nowhere.

"Because seeing how much it bugs you bring me joy," I said dully.

"Don't be such a child," he quoted.

I looked at him in disbelief, "I have half a mind to slap you right now."

"Glad to know its only half," he smirked.

I smacked his arm.

"I'll see you later love," he chuckled walking off.

"He really irritates me," I gritted.

"Says the girl who spent half of potions passing notes with him," Lily said.

I gasped at her, "I'm hurt Lily. I thought you were my friend."

"Don't be so dramatic Juliet I was only teasing," she said, "well I'm off to class. Talk to you later."


	4. Chapter 4

I made it to the Great Hall after my Herbology class. I had yet again been harassed by the one and only Sirius Black. Relieved I sat down next to Lily pouring myself a cup of pumpkin juice.

"Well hello to you too," Lily said looking up from her book and lunch.

I rolled my eyes at her, "Hello Lillian dear."

"Herbology went poorly I see," She said.

I shrugged, "I'll get over it."

"Are you going to tell me what happened in Potions this morning?" She asked.

"Oh yeah. He was asking me what I saw in the mirror," I remembered.

"What did you tell him?" She asked.

"No, I panicked and said it was a scary monster," I said.

"Well its close enough," She said amused.

"Yeah well he knows I'm lying and now he won't leave me alone about it," I said grabbing some fruit to munch on.

"What we need to do is figure out what that mirror does exactly," She said.

I nodded biting into a strawberry.

"Maybe we can find something at the library about it. I'm sure there are books on enchanted mirrors somewhere in this school," She suggested.

"Well that's more than likely, it'll also be a good time to get some of this homework done," I said.

"And were bound to get more by tomorrow so we're probably going to go anyways," She said.

I nodded as we set plans for the library this weekend. An owl swooped in the a letter and a small parcel was tossed in front of me. I picked it up to see who it was from.

"Who's it from?" Lily asked.

"My aunt," I said curiously opening the letter.

Dear Juliet,

I just wanted to send you a letter to see how Hogwarts is going. I hope you're enjoying school and have listened to my advice. Stay well and enjoy the cookies, they're your favorite.

Love you, Aunt Tracy

I set the letter down and picked up the parcel smelling the cinnamon in the oatmeal cookies.

"You're smelling a package," Lily pointed out.

"Yes I am," I said keeping my nose to the packaging, "There are cookies inside and the package smells good."

"Oooh your aunt made cookies," Lily said excitedly, "Save one for me."

"I'll try Lily, I'll try," I said smelling them again then putting them in my bag along with the letter so I can reply later. We finished eating lunch then got up leaving the Great Hall going to DADA.

"So today I hear that we'll be just be starting to practice defensive spells with our table partners," Lily said as we walked to class

I groaned loudly and childishly. Lily patted my shoulder.

"You're lucky you get to sit next to Alice, she's really nice," I said.

"Yeah," She agreed with no hesitation, "I mean, you'll be fine. I believe in you."

"Lets just see who I save a cookie for now," I growled.

"No! I love cookies from your aunt!" She exclaimed.

"It's not like they're the only ones she'll make for me this year," I said, "Knowing her I'll get more cookies next week."

"True," She said thoughtfully.

We walked into the classroom and I sadly took my seat but quickly enjoyed the empty seat next to me while I could. I pulled out a piece of parchment to write back to Mrs. Holden.

Aunt Tracy,

Thank you so much for the cookies. Lily and I plan to eat them tonight while we do our homework. Hogwarts is going great so far though there have been a couple of bumps involving someone I'd rather not speak about. I was thinking on the train ride about what you said in the car, it still completely baffles me what you told me about you and Mr. Holden. Well I have to go now class is about to start so have a nice day.

Lots of Love, Juliet and Cooley

"Who is Cooley?" A voice over my shoulder asked making me jump and almost fall out of my seat. I glared at Black as I stuffed the letter in my bag pulling out my book.

"Were you reading my letter?" I asked.

"Not entirely," He said.

"That's personal you shouldn't be reading other people's letters," I lectured.

"I didn't read the letter part just the little end part there," He then quoted, " 'Lots of Love, Juliet and Cooley'."

I glared at him even more.

"I was just wondering who Cooley was no need for all the glares," He said.

"Why does it matter who Cooley is to you? He has nothing to do with you," I said defending my cat.

He raised his eyebrow, "He?"

I rolled my eyes and spat at him for how ridiculous it was for him being jealous, especially if he knew it was just my cat.

"If you two in the back are done I thought we could start today's lesson," The professor snapped at us.

I closed my mouth from what I was about to say and looked up at the teacher ignoring the annoying prat next to me.

Seemingly satisfied, the professor went on with his lesson, "You will be paired up with the person sitting next to you as you begin to practice defensive spells. So get up and begin practicing with your partner."

This will be interesting.

"Ready?" Black asked sliding out of his chair.

I hummed a yes while getting up and drawing my wand.

And so we practice what the teacher had wanted us to, which came as a shock to me. Black didn't try to get us in trouble or side-tracked, it was a normal day in class.

"Alright class we will pick up with this tomorrow so be ready, you're only homework would be to study the spells," The professor said calling the class to end. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I grabbed my bag slinging it over my shoulder and left with Lily.

"How was class?" Lily asked.

"Shockingly normal," I said.

"Huh weird, I'll see you later," She said turning into the direction of her next class.

I waved walking off to my charms class.

()()()()()()

I made my way to my Care of magical creatures class just in time.

"Today class I will be pairing you with a partner for a project," Professor Kettleburn said when class started. We were outside and the sun was out showing off the end of summer with a light breeze.

Professor Kettleburn started pairing everyone with their partners. I wasn't paying attention until I heard my name called off with another.

"Juliet Walker and Sirius Black."

My eyes widened. What? But he wasn't... he can't be... but... why me? I smacked my hand to my forehead telling my brain to shut up.

"Glad to see you made it to class today Mr. Black," Professor mused after she called off his name.

There was no chance for him to respond because she continued calling off names.

"Okay class now that you are all paired we can get started. I will assign you a creature and you and your partner are to write an essay about this creature. Your essay must at least a foot long, extra points will be rewarded to those who go the extra length-if it is a decent essay. Now find your partner and I will come around and assign you your animal."

"Would you look at that another class with the beautiful Juliet," Black said walking over to me.

"I didn't know you were in this class," I said.

"Well I would have been here yesterday but I have other things to attend to," He said.

"On the first day of school?" I asked raising my eyebrow at him.

"You would be surprised with how busy I can be," He said.

"Juliet, Sirius, your creature is the Kneazle," Professor Kettleburn said walking past us.

"Look as much as I'm not happy with this arrangement you better not slack off on this essay. We only have to write one and I'm not writing an essay on a Kneazle by myself," I said.

"Not to worry love I wouldn't make you write this on your own," He said.

I suddenly regretted that decision.


	5. Chapter 5

"Its official Lily all of my teachers hate me. I don't know what I did to make them hate me, but they do," I told her as we walked to owlery to send my letter to my aunt.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"Because every class there is Black and in almost everyone of those class I am either sitting next to or he's my partner for something," I explained.

"Every class?" She asked shocked.

"Yes. Every class. I thought he wasn't in my care of magical creatures class but it turns out he was just skipping," I said.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll skip that class more often," She said.

"That would be nice but I'm partnered with him to write an essay already," I said.

"Okay your teachers do hate you," She agreed not being able to find a good side to any of this, "I've kinda been thinking about that though."

"About what?" I asked.

"You and him," She said quietly.

"Lily I'm frightened at what you're point is to this conversation," I said.

"I don't know, I'm just looking at it from a different point of view," She defended, "He does act really sweet around you not too obnoxious."

"I do not want to hear this from my best friend," I said, "You know that it makes me uncomfortable sometimes."

"Fine I'll drop it," She said.

"Thank you," I said and we came to a silence as we made it up the stairs to the owlery.

I gave a school provided owl my letter to send to my aunt and pulled out the package of cookies while we walked down and to the court yard. We said down in the grass eating the cookies.

"Okay, I can tell you really want to talk about it," I sighed, "so lets talk about it."

"I just think that, based on the previous years we have had dealing with both him and his delirious friend, he has kind of changed this year," She said, "I can't really explain it, it just seems as though he's...less of his annoy self than he usually is. Flirty? yes. Obnoxious? Not as much."

I bit my lip, as uncomfortable as I felt about this subject I tried to get myself to reason with her.

"I don't know, there is just too much of the bickering and stupid stuff in the past for me to look past," I said, "He should have learned what 'No' meant a long time ago and maybe I could try to look past everything."

"Well that, and you're really good at blocking people out when you want to," She said.

"What? I don't block people out," I defended myself.

"The middle of second year we got into a fight and you blocked me out well until the middle of summer," She said.

"Yeah," I paused looking wide-eyed at the grass remembering that fight, "I guess I can see your point."

"Maybe just try to forget all the stupid stuff and move forward," She suggested, "I'm not saying you should date him or anything, but maybe forge a friendship. Like the one you have with Remus."

I raised my eyebrow at her, "I think the day I become friends with him is the day you become friends with James."

Her eyes widened in fear, "yeah...okay I guess I'm just delirious today."

Loud laughter burst through the courtyard.

"Speak of the devils," I muttered grumpily.

"Maybe if we run they won't see us," Lily whispered.

"Say the one who's trying to convince me to become friends with one of them," I grumbled.

"I've come to my senses now," she said, "let's just go, I wanted to go to the library anyways."

We got up, "I thought you wanted to go tomorrow."

"Hey you know me," she said, "living in the here and now."

We tossed our books in our bags and quickly walked inside the building heading for the library. One of them shouted for us before we could conceal ourselves in the safety of the castle and we had to run for it, all the way to the library.

"Where is a teacher when you need them?" I asked as we ran down the hall.

"Plotting against us for the rest of the year," She said.

We slowed outside of the library to catch our breaths.

"Have a nice run ladies?"

I jumped and screamed at the unexpected voice.

"How the bloody hell did you get up here faster than we did?" Lily demanded.

"We're quidditch players love," Potter answered amused.

"We have a few tricks up our sleeves," Black added with the same tone of amusement in his voice.

"Oh leave them alone guys haven't you bugged them enough today?" A new voice asked from behind us.

"To answer honestly Moony we haven't," Black answered, "Juliet and I has been having a quite lovely day together."

"Just because somehow you have every teacher in Hogwarts on your side doesn't mean I actually dislike any less than before," I said.

"Ouch love that hurt," He said.

"It wasn't supposed to be nice," I sneered. He just knew how to make me angry over nothing.

"Well maybe you should try being nice we do have to write an essay together," He said.

"Well maybe I don't want to try being nice to you," I shot back.

"Yeah that would be pretty hard for you to do, because then you might admit to yourself that you actually like me," He said.

My aunt's words rang through my head, 'girl you better kiss him or slap him senseless.'

I stopped myself from saying anything further instead I looked up and him and then slapped him across the face and stormed down the hall away from everybody. My anger took me all the way back to the Gryffindor common room and up to my dorm.

I jumped onto my bed sitting there. I pulled out my homework and sat there silently working on it.

The door opened and closed letting in Lily, our other roommates. They stayed quiet and to themselves knowing I was mad. I wrote the last sentence to my foot long essay on the reason of using dragon dung. I put my homework back into my bag, took out what was left of the cookies with the letter from my aunt and placed them on my night stand dropping my bag to the floor. Sliding off of my bed I grabbed my pajamas.

"Aren't you going to come dinner?" Lily asked.

I shook my head, "I'm not really hungry at the moment but if I get hungry I have some cookies left."

"Alright," She said as she left with our roommates. She would probably end up bringing me back something from dinner.

I went into the bathroom and ran a shower. I sighed sitting on the floor letting the room steam up. I don't understand why he makes me so mad all of the time. The fact that he does makes me even more mad and then I just in a cluster of bad emotions. I groaned and smacked my head. Why do I have to confuse myself?

I got up and took my shower hoping to make myself feel better. It did help a little bit. I got out putting on my pajamas and walked out of the bathroom. Cooley jumped up on my bed meowing and purring.

"Hi there baby," I cooed sitting down on my bed and picked him up putting him on my lap petting him. I laid down as he stretched across my stomach. I scratched behind his ear and he purred even louder.

"Need a cat and best friend session?" Lily's voice asked as she entered the room.

"I brought some snacks too," She said and sat down on my bed next to me. She handed me a pumpkin pasty.

"You will forever be my best friend," I said eating it.

"I know," She said smugly laying down next to me.

"You know Lils I don't understand why he irritates me so much," I told her.

"I know this is just repeating our conversation from earlier, and its a little out of place for me," She paused briefly, "but maybe he's right."

"That's crazy," I said barely above a whisper.

"Maybe it is," She agreed, "But for the sake of being stuck with him in every class try not slapping him again."

"I won't, I actually feel kind of bad for slapping him, I was just mad and it was the first thing my mind told me to do," I said then bit my tongue at the lie.

"Well maybe you should give your mind a little slap for that, He seemed really upset at dinner," She said.

"Look at Lily now defending Black," I teased.

"Sure," She laughed, "I'm defending him because my best friend might be making a mistake."

I rolled my eyes.

"I have a confession," She said suddenly.

"I'm not sure I want to hear this," I said.

"I went to the library after the little incident," She said, "and I found a book that might have an answer, or at least an idea, of what that mirror you saw is."

"I don't know if you're going to want to hear this right now but..." She paused I knew she was trying to think of how to tell me, "Its called the Mirror of Erised."

"Eris-what?" I asked confused.

"Erised its desire backwards."

"So you're telling me..."

"That the mirror shows you your deepest most desperate desire," She said, "But it also said it never showed truth or knowledge."

"But that still means..." I trailed off not wanting to say it out loud.

"I mean the book was just some journals and the wizard who wrote it didn't really have hard facts, but it's the only thing I noticed that matched what you were describing," She said.

I groaned, "This is exactly what I was trying to avoid earlier."

"Sorry hun," She said.

"I need to find out what he saw and why he won't tell me," I said suddenly remembering how he acted this morning when I had asked him, "Then maybe that can narrow down whether or not that is what the mirror is."

"And maybe then you two can figure things out," She said.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up that morning with a plan. That plan was to figure out what Sirius saw in the mirror. I got up and got changed into my uniform and did my hair. I took my time and put on some makeup. I walked over to my bed and grabbed my bag slinging it over my shoulder.

"So what's today's pan?" Lily asked grabbing her own bag ready to go down to breakfast.

"To apologize for slapping him," I said.

"Good and if you can get him to tell you what he saw," she added.

We walked down to breakfast.

"Alright so when he comes down go and talk to him," Lily said giving me a pep talk.

I nodded and sat down pouring myself some juice and grabbing a piece of toast. We sat there eating some breakfast until Lily nudged me.

"Go. Talk. Now," she demanded sternly as the marauders sat down eating breakfast.

"Okay okay," I said and finished my piece of toast and downing my juice.

I picked up my bag and walked over to Black and tapped on his shoulder. He turned looking at me.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked biting my lip hoping he wouldn't be too rude about it.

"Sure," he said and got up following me out of the great hall.

"Look I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about yesterday. I was having a bad day and I shouldn't have taken it out on you," I said.

"It's fine don't worry about it," he said shrugging it off like he wasn't really accepting my apology.

"Sirius I really mean it I'm sorry," I said.

"Did you just call me Sirius?" He asked shocked.

...did I? I did...

"Well that's your name isn't it," I said trying to brush it off.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Evans isn't forcing you to do this is she?"

"No she isn't. She did talked to me last night and then I started feeling bad about slapping you and I just wanted to apologize because I shouldn't have done that and I don't know why I did it I just did and-"

"Okay okay you can stop rambling Juliet I forgive you," he laughed.

I smiled feeling myself turn slightly pink.

"I'll see you in class," he smiled and went back to his friends.

I stood there and moments later Lily was walking out of the great hall.

"So I take it that it went well," she said.

I nodded, "it did."

We started walking to potions class while I explained to her what happened. We sat down at our table talking and waiting for class to start.

"I wonder what were going to be brewing today," Lily said excitedly.

I shrugged, "I'll probably end up failing, as usual."

"I'm at your table just ask me if you need help," she said rolling her eyes.

I scoffed, "like it's that easy, I have a reputation to maintain."

She raised her eyebrow at me, "and what reputation would that be?"

"That not only any I really pretty I am also really smart," I grinned.

"Being smart is also asking for help when you need it," She pointed out.

"Why do you always make good points?" I asked, "it's not fair."

The rest of the class rolled in just as class had begun.

"Good morning everyone. Today you will be brewing the potion that begins on page 63 of your books, your homework is on the board and its due Monday!" Slughorn ordered and we all got working.

I never really like potions. It wasn't hard but it wasn't easy. Lily would give me tips and some help but sometime I just need to learn from my mistakes. At the end of the class I had finished and put my vial on Slughorn's desk going back to my seat and grabbing my bag.

"See you at lunch," Lily said leaving for her next class.

I wrote the assignment off of the board and stuffed it in my bag. I headed to the library to knock out this essay.

"Hey Juliet!"

I turned and had to force myself out of old habits.

"Hey Sirius," I said as he caught up and walked with me.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Library so I can get that potions essay done," I said.

"That's boring it's so nice outside why would you sit in the library?" He asked.

I shrugged, "I like the smell of books."

"Huh," he said, "you have all weekend to smell books."

"I'll tell you what. If you let me go check out the book I need to write my essay I will sit outside and write it," I said.

"Sounds fair enough," he said.

We walked into the library and I knew what book I need so I got it and checked it out and put it in my bag.

"Happy?" I asked.

"Extremely," he grinned.

I was on the border of regretting this whole being friendly and not regretting it. It was kind of strange as we walked out of the castle together to the tree by the black lake. I was so used to hating him. I guess it wouldn't be that bad to be his friend. It's not like we're going to be best friends forever anytime soon just the fact that I may be stuck with him in every class for the rest of the year I might as well be able to sit in the same room with him and not want to slap him again.

I sat leaning against the tree and pulled out the book to start my essay. He just laid there looking at the sky. I stopped writing my essay thinking that this might be the perfect moment to try to get him to talk about the mirror.

I set my book and parchment aside in a huff.

"It's too nice outside to work," I said when he gave me a questionable look.

"Told you so," he said smugly.

I muttered a 'shut up' while stretching my legs out in front of me.

"I talked to Lily about the mirror," I dived in before I found an excuse to put it off.

"I'm not shocked she is your best friend," he said matter-of-factly.

"She actually figured out what that mirror was," I said biting my lip.

"So did I," he said.

My jaw dropped, "And you didn't tell me?"

He shrugged, "you never asked."

"When did you figure it out?" I asked astonished.

"When I was looking at," he said simply.

Now I needed to know.

"What did you see?" I asked.

"If my memory serves me right I still asked you first," he said stubbornly.

"That's not fair," I said, "I gave you my answer."

"Yes but your answer was a lie," he said.

"What if I clarify it more?" I suggested.

He looked at me curiously.

"I exaggerated a bit by saying it was a scary monster," I said.

"No kidding," he scoffed.

"But in a way to me it was kind of a scary monster," I said not really thinking I got my point across.

"That makes no sense at all," he said blankly.

"Well that's my hint you figure out the rest," I said.

"I can't even think of a hint that won't just give mine away," he said.

"Then just tell me," I said.

"But that's not fair," he said.

"It's completely fair," I said.

"Yeah to you," he rolled his eyes, "when I come up with a good enough hint ill give it to you."

I sighed loudly chewing on my lip before hesitantly asking, "what can I do to get you to tell me what you saw first?"

He had a pondering look on his face, he chewed on his lip as he seriously thought it over. I subconsciously held my breath as I began to realize the kind of power I essentially gave him. What if he asks me to do something that will get me in a lot of trouble? What if he wanted me to kiss him? Would I? Just to figure out what he saw first, would I kiss him?

"I honestly can't think of anything," He finally said pulling me out of my horrendous thoughts. I mentally did a double take, I gave him the option to ask anything of me and he was drawing a blank? I suddenly began to think that maybe Lily was right.

"Really?" I asked with a little astonishment in my tone, "Nothing?"

He propped himself up on his elbows squinting because of the sunlight, "No, nothing can really come to mind right now."

"What if I promise to either tell you exactly what I saw or," I paused watching some birds chase bugs around, "I will answer one question, that you can come up with whenever, with complete honesty."

"Hm, that's a tough one," He observed then pondered over what his choice would be, "Cause I mean part of me really wants to know what freaked you out, but then to be able to ask you anything I want and get the honest truth out of you sounds really nice too."

"I really know how to not make things easy," I said half impressed with myself.

He muttered in agreement and went back to debating.

"Okay, I've made up my mind but I have a condition," He said, "I'll g-"

"Wait," I cut him off, "I want to hear your condition first, before either of us agree to anything."

"Smart girl," He hummed, "My condition is, that I don't tell you right here, right now. I'll tell you Saturday."

"Why Saturday?" I asked confused, "that's just tomorrow."

"Well for starters I just know it's going to bug you, and then we can just talk, just the two of us, without having to worry about being late to a class or anything. Kind of like right now."

"What? We are!?" I exclaimed grabbing my bag unceremoniously shoving my book and parchment in it pushing myself up off the ground.

"We won't be late, it's just herbology and it's not too far away," He said getting up, "now, do we have a deal."

I took a second to think about it, it does make sense. We only have a few minutes to get to class and this conversation would make us late.

"Okay, yeah tomorrow sounds like a better time to have this conversation," I agreed and started walking, "now lets get to class."

"What about my pick?" He asked.

"Save it for tomorrow," I said over my shoulder, "In case you change your mind."


	7. Chapter 7

"Where are you going?" Lily asked as I was getting to leave our dorm where we had just returned to from lunch.

"I told you last night," I said slipping into my jacket, "I made a deal with Sirius, and I can't believe those words came out of my mouth, again."

She shook her head laughing at me, "Sorry I forgot about that."

"Well I'll see you later," I said heading for the door, "If I don't throw myself off the astronomy tower before then."

"I'll write you a beautiful eulogy," She said with a hint of fake sadness in her tone.

I rolled my eyes at her and left going downstairs. Last night talking to Lily had been quite interesting and left me with thoughts I didn't particularly want.

()()()

"So what you're telling me is that you agreed to hang out with Sirius," Lily said leaning against her bedpost.

"It's not like some date or anything like that, he just agreed to tell me what he saw in that stupid mirror but we had to go to class yesterday so we decided to do it today," I explained.

"Uh-huh, just gonna sit around and talk and talk and talk," She teased.

I gave her a rather uninterested look, "You're the one who thought it was a great idea to figure out what he saw, so I'm taking your lovely advice."

"Yeah I seem to have a lot of great ideas," She mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," She said quickly, "nothing."

I raised my eyebrow at her, "you're hiding something."

"I am not," She lied defensively.

There was silence as I stared at her waiting for her to crack. She stayed solid for a couple minutes before she cracked.

"Ugh! fine, but don't hate me," She said in a huff, "I kind of have a running bet with Remus on when, and if, you and Sirius will actually get together."

My jaw dropped.

"What?!" I demanded my voice reaching on octave I didn't know I could reach.

"Remus and I were talking in class the other day and it was kind of about you and then Sirius made his way into the conversation. We both kind of agreed how silly you've been," She rambled,

"You're not making any sense," I said.

"Okay, you might not see it, but you and Sirius are kind of great for each other. And believe it or not, but I think you like him. There's just that side of you who wants to push it away," She clarified.

I stared at her blankly, "I'm going to bed, because I'm tired and I want to forget this conversation ever happened."

()()()

We had agreed to meet back by the black lake we were talking yesterday, so I made my way down there the entire time in my head I was trying to convince myself to not do this. A deal is a deal, and to be honest I just really wanted to know what he saw. A part of me was really considering what Lily was saying last night. What if there was a part of me doing this because I like him? It dawned on me that I never even thought of what he could have possibly saw. I mean, I saw him in the mirror what if he saw me as well? What would that mean? What if he saw something completely different? Oh great now I'm freaking myself out. This was probably the greatest way for me to talk myself out of something.

I shook head at myself and thought, "A deal is a deal so stop being stupid and deal with it."

When I got there I saw that Sirius got there before me, not too surprising, and was standing in the shade of the tree that we were talking under yesterday. I swallowed thickly and walked over.

"Hey," I said lamely letting my presence be known with a stupid wave.

He turned with a genuine smile on his face, "You actually showed."

"Well I'm not one for backing out of a deal like a coward," I stated.

"Ah, a true Gryffindor," He said.

I rolled my eyes, "yeah, yeah, that's what the sorting was for."

He chuckled, "Alright we might as well dive right into this thing."

I nodded and sat down at the base of the tree, "Right, so maybe we should start with what option you picked."

He joined me on the ground and was silent for a moment as if we was double checking that what he picked was what he wanted. He looked over at me certain, "I'll picked the one question."

I nodded, "Alright, and to be clear you don't have to ask that question now it could be saved for another day."

"Sounds good," He said, "So you said that you figured out what the mirror was right?"

"Yeah, Lily found a book and said the one that matched the description of the one we saw was a mirror called, "The Mirror of Erised," and it is said to show, when someone looks into it, their hearts deepest desire."

He inhaled slowly, "right," he said letting out his breath, "Maybe I should start with the fact that I don't want their to be weird between us," He paused, "I mean just this week we found that mirror, you've slapped me, and we've kind of made up."

Okay now I'm really worried.

"Not the best way to not get a girl to freak out a bit," I said cautiously.

"Sorry, I just mean that I don't really care what this mirror is supposed to show you, I just want something normal between us," He said.

"Okay," I trailed off, "Something normal could work. I feel like all we've done is bicker and annoy each other to no end since we've met. Friends might be a good start for us."

He smiled, "Yeah, I agree," he fell silent for a moment, "You wouldn't believe how hard this is to just say."

"Oh I think I do," I said, "What if I ask you to tell me it again? Do you think that would help?"

"I don't know, lets try it," He said.

"Okay," I said turning myself a little to face him better, "Sirius, can you tell me what you saw in the mirror?"

He was looking at me trying his hardest to keep a straight face before letting his head fall with his laughter, "No, apparently I cannot."

I joined his laughter, "Well maybe if you like didn't look at me, or maybe write it down."

"Writing it down might work," He quickly patted his pockets, "Have anything to write with."

I searched my pockets as well just to be sure, "No I left all that stuff in my dorm."

"Same here," He sighed, "Oh well, I just need to get it over with."

He took another deep breath and let it out, "So what I had saw in the mirror was, well, it was you," He said keeping his gaze to the ground, "And you were standing with me just holding my hands. Me in the mirror just looked like he was the happiest he's ever been, just to be standing there with you."

He stopped talking.

I figured as much. Did it mean something that we both saw each other in this mirror? Yes this is the same Sirius Black that has been pestering me to date him since some time after we first met, and now he just wants us to try to be friends. He saw me is some silly mirror that's supposed to show your hearts deepest desire and he just wants to be my friend. If he know that I saw him as well, would he still just want to be friends? I can't even think of telling him that I saw him too, that's just too much.

"But like I said," He spoke up clearing his throat, "I don't want anything weird between us."

"So we're going to try to be friends now?" I asked, "Just like that with no other thoughts on the matter?"

"Well I don't want to go back to bickering with you all the time," He said, "There are only so many years left at Hogwarts and as much as I do like you, it's probably better to actually get to know you and be your friend."

I blinked looking at him, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you," I smiled a little, "And I want to tell you a small secret why."

He raised an eyebrow, "A secret? Really?"

"Yes a secret," I said, "A part of it starts with my aunt, who is a tad bit insane, but earlier this week she told me that, despite learning being my top priority while being here, I need to take more risks and have more fun at school."

"So that's what you're doing?" He asked, "Taking more risks?"

"Yeah," I said, "I am, and I want to. I want to enjoy these last few years of Hogwarts and if it's going to be me constantly annoyed with you then it's not going to be very enjoyable."

"So, friends?"

I smiled and nodded, "Friends."

We stayed there talking for a while.

"Okay may I just ask; just a couple days ago it was your mission to get me to go on a date with you, why the sudden change of attitude?" I asked.

"Well, and I came to this conclusion after a talk with Remus shortly after you slapped me, that if anything were to change between us it would have to be slow and up to you," He explained.

I raised my eyebrows, "Do you know that he and Lily have a bet on whether or not we're going to get together right?"

"What?" He gaped, "They do? How did you find that out?"

"I can get Lily to tell me anything," I said.

"So they're betting on when and if we actually get together?" He asked.

"Yeah, I don't know the specifics on each of their bets but its something like that," I said.

"Oh now we have to keep this going as long as possible just to annoy them," He said.

I laughed, "Oh I bet Lily would kill me, I think she's half expecting me to go back to our dorm telling her that we're dating now."

He laughed as well, "We need to figure out what their bets specifically are."

"I'm sure I can get Lily to tell me more," I said agreeing with him.

"I'll get what I can out of Remus," He said.

It was getting darker now and we decided to go back into the castle. We were walking up the stairs towards the common room.

"Since we've both agreed that we're going to be friends I don't really have a problem telling you this," I said not really sure why I was telling him this, "But in the mirror, I saw you too."

We reached the painted and I quickly said the password and the portrait swung open. I stepped inside and turned to see Sirius practically frozen.

His mouth fell open to say something, but he quickly shut it and with a shake of his head he entered to common room after me.

"Are we okay?" I asked.

He nodded.

I smiled and turned upstairs walking up to my dorm. We talked through dinner, but luckily I still had some cookies made by my aunt to snack on.

"Hey," Lily said when she heard me enter the room. Her nose was in her book I assume getting a bit of homework done, "So how did it go?"

I shrugged out of my jacket and sat down on my bed, "It went fine. We got it all done and over with and now were friends."

"Friends?" Her head peaked up.

"Yep," I said popping the P, "Friends."

"Just friends? Nothing else?" She questioned.

I sighed and got heavily sarcastic with her, "How foolish of me to even think I can hide this from you. Sirius and I are just so deeply in love after one conversation that didn't end in bickering. We are going to run away together and get married. You know we're thinking a spring wedding would be lovely, do you want to be my maid of honor?"

"You're an ass," She said.

"I've been told," I nodded, "but really Lily, were just friends. Unless this has something to do with that bet with Remus. Which, by the way, what are you guys even betting on?"

"Just when or if you two will stop being so dumb and go out with each other," She shrugged.

"And what do you think? Will it happen sooner or later?" I asked.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"You made a bet with someone about this, I think you do have some thoughts on the matter and I just want to know them." I huffed.

"Why would you want to know?" She asked defensively.

"Because it kind of has something to do with me!" I exclaimed.

"Fine, you have a point," She sighed, "I think you two will figure things out sooner and Remus thinks you guys will take things slow."

"Huh," I said thoughtfully, "That makes sense now."

"What does?" She asked curiously.

"Why Sirius thought it was a good idea to start with being friends after talking to Remus. Also why you have been on my tail trying to get me to see the light," I said.

"What!" She exclaimed, "I have not!"

"There's no need to get defensive, but yes you have," I grinned at her while she sat there bewildered.

"Oh forget you," She huffed and went back to her book.

"You know I love you dear," I said grabbing my stuff to get ready for bed.

She grumbled to herself almost mocking me, "Oh and by the way, yes I'll be your maid of honor."

I rolled my eyes leaving her to get ready for bed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello Remus dear," I said taking a seat next to him in the Great Hall the next afternoon at lunch, "Make any good bets with anyone lately?"

He sighed audibly, "Please don't hate me."

"Oh I could never hate you," I reassured him quickly, "I just like to tease."

"So what, you guys are friends now?" He asked changing the subject slightly.

I shrugged, "yeah."

He hummed and went back to eating his lunch and I got myself something to eat.

"Remus have you-Oh hey Juliet," I looked up and saw James had come over.

"Hello," I said before taking a bite of my sandwhich.

"Anyways," James sat down across from us, "Remus have you seen Si-...my uh...book? Yeah my book."

He was giving Remus a knowing look. It was obvious to anyone in a ten foot radius that he wasn't actually looking for a book. I didn't want to pry, because it was none of my business, so I concentrated on my sandwhich.

"Which book?" Remus asked plainly not giving into his bullshit.

"The one for...herbology," He stammered.

"Okay stop being an idiot," Remus said, "I know you're not looking for a book. Are you looking for Sirius?"

"Yeah," James said slowly giving me a side glance.

"We're friends now you don't have to turn him into a book in conversation," I spoke up, "especially herbology, what's up with that."

"Oh," He said then shrugged, "Well then have either of you seen him?"

I shook my head.

"I haven't seen him since breakfast," Remus said, "he might be up in our dorm. Why don't you check the-why didn't you just check up there first?"

I frowned questionably looking between them.

"Because I uh didn't think to look there first," James replied strangely taping his hands awkwardly on the table.

"I'm starting to reconsider knowing any of you," I said filling my cup with pumpkin juice and casually taking a drink.

"Okay forget it, finding him isn't that important," James said then directed his attention at me, "So how have you been?"

I raised my eyebrow at him, "Oh you know just been my usual delightful self all the time."

Remus laughs.

"That's good," James nodded, "Yeah, wish I could say the same."

"I can't get Lily to go out with you," I stated.

"What? No. I wasn't," He scoffed, "That's just crazy. You're crazy."

I blinked at him.

"It was worth a shot," He grumbled the got up, "I'll be going then. Off to find Sirius. Pleasure talking with you Juliet, and Remus I'll see you later then."

He waved and left the Great Hall.

I sighed, "What has my life come to."

"Hey, you knew we were weird before you signed up for this," Remus kindly reminded me.

"Yeah I know," I said, "It's just sometimes I forget and then I'm reminded all over again. Plus I've been friends with you for some time now and I'm used to you acting strange, it's just the rest of your friends that I need getting used to."

He chuckled, "So what are you planning on doing with the rest of the day?"

"I was going to meet up with Lily at the library to get some homework done," I said and finished my juice.

"Cool, mind if I tag along?," He asked, "I got a few things I still have to finish up."

"Sure, I don't mind," I said.

"Alright I got to go get a few things, but I'll meet you in the library?" He suggested.

"Sure sounds fine," I said getting up, "hey, you can help me with my potions essay because you're such a nice person."

He rolled his eyes getting up as well muttering an agreement. We walked out of the Great Hall together then went in opposite directions. I headed for the library, taking my time really because I didn't want to write this essay.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from behind me. I turned and saw Sirius running to catch up with me.

"Hey," I said when he caught up, "you know James is looking for you right?"

"What? Oh yeah, I just saw him. He just told me about this thing for a thing," He trailed off scratching the back of his head.

"Right," I nodded, "Because that was convincing enough. If it involves you guys having the possibility of getting in trouble then I don't want to know."

"So like pranking a teacher wouldn't be something you wanted to know?" He asked.

"The more ignorant I am the better," I said.

"Alright," He laughed, "so where are you headed?"

"Library," I answered, "I'm meeting up with Lily and Remus actually."

He nodded, "I'll let you be on your way then."

"Alright," I said a little baffled as he started walking away from me.

"Hey," He stopped turning on his heel, "Don't we have an essay that needs to be done?"

"Oh yeah," I remembered, "I don't think that's due till the end of the week, but we should probably work on that soon."

"Well what a perfect opportunity to join you in the library," He said walking back over to me.

I raised my eyebrows at him, "Really? You want to go to the library and work on an essay?"

"Well why not?" he asked, "It has to get done anyways."

"Alright," I said trailing off as we started walking again.

We made it to the library and I located Lily who was scribbling on her parchment, "Hey a couple other people will be joining us, because they're really into getting some work done today apparently."

She looked up from her work, "Alright sounds fine as long as they're actually doing work."

"No promises with this one, but Remus should be here soon," I said sitting down looking through her stuff for what was mine.

"Hey," Sirius protested sitting down as well, "I'm offended. I know how to do homework."

"Great, then you can go find some books for our essay and I can finish my other essay," I replied.

He straightened his shoulders, "Fine, but I'm not doing all the work."

I rolled my eyes at his childish joking tone. He pushed himself out of his seat keeping eye-contact with me, "See? Here I go."

Then he proceed to walk away.

"I expect him to come back with nothing," I said turning to Lily, "He's probably forgotten what we are supposed to even be writing about."

She laughed. Her eyes went past me, "Hey Remus."

"Ladies," Remus greeted sitting with us.

"Wow would you look at that, greatest person in the world. Here to help me with my potions essay because he's such a nice person," I said in an all too cheerful tone.

"Let me see what you have," He sighed with an amused look on his face.

I handed him what I had, "None of it is worth keep, I just know it. Just rip it up and throw it away if you hate it, cause I do."

"Juliet would you let me read it?" He asked.

"Sorry," I smiled and tapped on the table impatiently while he read my essay.

"You're a child and your essay is fine just write your conclusion," He said sliding the paper back towards me.

"Are you sure? It get it point across?" I asked worriedly looking at my essay.

"I'm sure. It is a very lovely essay and it actually helped me where I was stuck on mine so thanks for that," He said.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him while picking up a quill to finish my essay.

"You know if you didn't sleep so often in that class you wouldn't freak out over every essay," Lily pointed out.

"Well, my dear, that is what the wonderful Remus is for. I have been blessed with his friendship so he can proofread all my essays so I don't fail, but I can also sleep soundly… in class," I resorted.

"You're insane," She stated.

"You've always known this," I said setting down my quill, "Why must you act as though this is new information."

"I found these three that are loaded with some information on Kneazles," Sirius said returning to us dropping some books on the table creating a loud thud. He acknowledged Remus with a nod

I jumped and looked over the books slightly impressed. I picked up the first book and flipped through it until I found Kneazles. Skimming over the words I said, "These could work. We should probably get reading then take note of what we want to talk about in our essay."

"You should probably be warned that she is crazy organized when it comes to writing an essay and does not mess around," Lily warned her eyes not leaving her paper.

"Oh boy," He muttered picking up a book opening it.

I rolled my eyes leaving my attention in the book in front of me.

We all sat around working on any homework we had left. Not that Sirius constantly trying to throw my attention off of our actual work was helping anybody, we got minimal work done.

"Okay so does that mean were done with the essay?" Sirius asked after a while later, Lily had left us but Remus stayed to read.

"What?" I asked bewildered, "No this is just the notes, we haven't even written the essay yet."

He groaned a little too loudly and was shushed by Madam Pince.

"You're joking," He questioned lowering his voice. Remus chuckled at our banter.

I shook my head and looked from our notes to him, "Do you want to start writing now or save it for tomorrow?"

"It's about dinner time, why don't we save it for later," He suggested in a tired tone.

"Fine," I said and rolled up the parchment putting them in my bag that Lily had left for me. We cleaned up the rest of our mess - Remus finally putting down his book to help - then the three of us left the library and started walking to the Great Hall.

"Moony, Prongs said that we should finally be able to get the stuff we've been working on done," Sirius spoke to Remus as I walked beside them staying out of their conversation. They speak vaguely around me I've noticed, but I don't really care if it's about things that'll probably get them in trouble. I'd rather not know any of that information.

"It's not really necessary," Remus said, "You guy have been working on it long enough with no success."

"Yes but Moony my dear friend this time," He used his hands dramatically to emphasize his words, "this time it will work."

"Whatever you say Padfoot," Remus said shaking his head.

I promptly stayed quiet as we entered the Great Hall. My eyes found Lily and I waved a farewell to them as I walked in her direction.

"Hello my darling friend of mine," I greeted sitting down next to my fiery friend

"Hello dear," She replied, "Get some work done?"

"Yeah we got some good notes down and should be able to write this essay soon," I said.

"You normally don't take too long with essays especially for care of magical creatures," She pointed out.

"Yes but this is my only opportunity to torture him into doing some quality work," I said, "plus last year my essays in that class sucked because I rushed to get them done so I'm turning over a new leaf."

"I see," she hummed.

"Don't give me that tone," I said, "You always lectured me last year to put more effort into those essays, so I am."

"Whatever you say dear," She said.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm a little excited for this one. I'm not sure why, but I am.

* * *

I walked downstairs to the common room with my chubby cat at me feet. I was going to find Sirius so we could finish our essay, we were almost done but I'm a perfectionist.

I saw Sirius on the floor by a fireplace with our essay spread out in front of him. He must have heard me approach because he said, "I think you're crazy. This doesn't need anything else."

"That's only because you don't want to work on it anymore," I said sitting across from him, "Here let me read it again."

"Okay, but I'm pretty sure you're the new expert on Kneazles," He said sliding the parchment with our essay on it in my direction, "Who's this?"

I looked to where his eyes shot, "Oh this is my cat, Cooley."

I picked up Cooley, who was rubbing himself against my leg purring, and cradled him him in my arms scratching his butt to make him purr louder, "He's in a lovable mood so he followed me down here."

"I can see that. Is this the same Cooley from your letter?" He asked and reached his hand over for Cooley to smell.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes this would be the one. You really shouldn't read other people's letters."

"I told you it was only that last little part," He hushed as Cooley sniffed him curiously before jumping out of my arms to walk over to him to investigate more.

Rolling my eyes at him again I focused my attention on the essay before me.

"Do you think only one of us should've written it? Not both of us?" I asked looking at the two different handwritings mixing in the essay.

"Oh no," He started in a very fake exhausted tone, "That essay is not going to be rewritten again. It is fine."

"But like, it's so sloppy," I fought, "neither of us have neat handwriting and mixing the two kind of makes it hard to read."

"Juliet, we are not rewriting that essay," He said putting his foot down - figuratively, "It is due tomorrow and I promise it's fine."

"Fine," I sigh, "But if we get points taken off because its not legible then that is your fault."

"I will gladly take the blame if it means you won't sit there and rewrite that entire essay," He said confidently.

A while later, we sat identically with our feet crossed in front of us while leaning against a couch. There were too many things to even remember what we started talking about, but we kept talking. Cooley was curled up on the couch behind my head purring as Sirius absent-mindedly petted him.

"Your mom sent you how many howlers just because you were sorted into Gryffindor?" I asked astonished.

"Three of them," he repeated himself, "but that was nothing compared to what I got when I went home for the holiday."

I didn't ask what happened because the tone of his voice revealed enough. It almost made me just want to cry and hug him, but I made no movement.

"I'm so sorry," I nearly had to choke out.

"It's not your fault," he brushed off my condolences, "I just have a crazy pureblood family. Nothing to worry about."

"That's still a terrible thing to go through," I said watching him immediately shrug his shoulders, "I never got to know my parents. They were killed in a really bad car accident. I was six."

I stared blankly at the fire wondering why I even told him that. It was just late and we've finished up our essay and kept on talking. It felt weird being this, well, serious with Sirius.

His hand moved from my cat to my forearm gripping it gently to squeeze it in a comforting manner.

"That," he stated in a low voice, "is a terrible thing to go through."

I briefly looked down at his hand on my arm before turning to look at him.

"Yeah," I swallowed, "I guess it is. I almost wish I was too young to remember them but I wasn't. I can't remember a lot, but I remember little things."

"Like what?" He asked instantly.

"Like Saturday's my dad always made breakfast for dinner. My mom would sing while she cleaned around the house. We lived in this house that had big open fields around it that I played in, and my dad would hold me over his shoulders running around to make me feel like I was flying. Stray dogs would wander into our yard and my mom would let me feed them," I trailed off and smiled to myself remembering what little time I had with my parents. It really reminded me how much I loved them.

"They sounded like great people," Sirius spoke up.

"Yeah," I replied, "I guess it's always good to remember the good things."

He gave me a smile of agreement. I'm not sure if it was just because of how late it was or the direction our conversation went, but we both seemed to be leaning towards each other. My eyes were directly looking at his lips.

Wait. What? What am I doing? I jumped back as if something shocked me before anything happened.

"I uh...I," I stumbled, "should probably go to bed."

I quickly pulled my arm away from him and pushed myself off the floor. I grabbed my cat waking him in the process.

"Juliet wait," he started.

"Goodnight Sirius," I said quickly without looking at him. Then I rushed myself upstairs to my dorm before I could hear him protest.

I shut the door behind me and leaning against it panting.

"Are you okay?"

My head snapped to the voice and I saw Lily - who was already in bed.

"I think I just almost kissed Sirius," I said my eyes widening as I vocalized what my brain couldn't even process. Cooley, in my arms, started to protest out of anger for being rudely woken up, so I let him jump down to the floor.

Lily fully sat up shocked, "what?"

"I think thats what was happening. We were just. And then there was. Then I panicked. And... I just. I just ran upstairs carrying my fatass cat," I rambled trying to use one hand to hold my ribs - that felt like they were going to fall out - and the other to help get my words out.

"Okay slow down and breathe," Lily instructed as she got up and walked over to me, "come sit down."

I let her pull me over to her bed to sit down. I sat there for a few minutes until finally my ribs felt normal again and my breathing calmed down.

"Okay now slowly explain what happened," she coached rubbing my shoulder in comfort.

"Well we fished our essay but we just stayed talking for a long time," I got out and Lily nodded for me to go on, "everything got all serious like when we start talking about the meaning of life at two in the morning. Then we got on the subject of our parent and I don't even know why I told him about my parents, but I did."

I was starting to get worked up again.

"Okay," she reassured, "its okay."

I squeezed my eyes shut and roughly ran my fingers through my hair.

"And then we were just looking at each other and it felt like we were leaning," I continued, "we were definitely both leaning. Then I panicked."

"So you grabbed your cat and ran up here?"

I nodded.

"Did he try to stop you?"

I nodded again.

"Why do you think you panicked?" She asked.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just not ready for _that_," I slowly put together trying my hardest to leave out words like, "relationship," or, "Sirius."

"That makes sense. It's totally fine to not be ready to go further than your guy's friendship," Lily offered.

"Do you think he's mad?" I asked.

"About you? Yes, he is absolutely bonkers over you," she said not helping what-so-ever, "but mad about you not kissing him? No, I think not. He might just be a little wounded."

I groaned covering my face with my hands falling backwards on her bed, "I didn't want to mess things up," my voice was muffled, "Why did I have to go and mess things up?"

"Maybe he won't even bring it up," Lily offered, "Forgive and forget. Right?"

I moved my hands, "Oh right, because the girl you like almost kisses you but freaks out before anything happens. That's something to forget."

"Alright get off of my bed, you're getting mean," She pushes my legs away.

I got up, "I need to go to bed anyways. Before I do anything stupid, again."

The following morning I got ready for classes slower than normal, mostly because I didn't sleep very well. My mind refused to turn off after what happened, or I guess almost happened.

"I'll see you in class," Lily said, seeing as she was ready to go down to breakfast. She didn't rush me to join her thankfully.

I just need to pep myself up into being in a better mood. Think happy thoughts about like cookies made by my aunt and writing letters. Lets not forget cuddling with my cat - when he's not angry at me - and getting good grades. Okay, this could work. Happy thought make happy moods.

I finished up getting dressed for classes and got my stuff together. So finally with my bag on my shoulder and better attitude I went down to the Great Hall to grab something quick to eat before class. Before I could enter the Great Hall I collided into another person.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry," I quickly apologized.

"No I'm sorry, wasn't paying atten- Oh Juliet hey," A familiar voice responded. I adjusted myself before focusing on Sirius in front of me, "Running late?"

"Yeah, my minds working slowly this morning," I said trying to test and see if there was a hint of anything that happened last night still between us, "I was just going to grab something quick to eat. See you in class?"

"Sure, I'll see you in a bit," He said casually and walked away joining his friends.

I blinked.

"Juliet."

I turned to see Lily walking over to me coming from the Slytherin table.

"I brought you some toast to eat on our way to class," She said standing next to me handing over a couple slices of toast wrapped in a napkin.

"Thanks," I said taking the food and we started walking while I ate.

"So was that Sirius I saw you talking to?" She asked, "How did that go."

I nodded and swallowed my mouth full of food, "It was normal, but like weird normal. I'm going to have to talk to him or something because it was so normal that it was just awkward."

I continued eating my toast.

"Hey, that doesn't seem like a bad idea," She said as we arrived outside of the class, "Just do what you have to do."

I nodded and quickly finished my toast before we went inside the classroom where we had a nice long lecture before getting our next assignment.

During class Sirius continue to talk to me like everything was normal between us, but the more he tried the more obvious it was to all of us at our table how not normal everything was.

So after class I did what I planned - we both have a free period - I suggested that we go outside while it's still nice outside. He had agreed with some hesitation, but in the end we were both sitting in the shade of a tree enjoying the ever-so-awkward silence.

"Okay," I huffed abruptly, "We have to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" He asked stupidly.

I sighed and raised my eyebrow at him.

He looked at the grass for a moment the up at me, but it wasn't quite at me more past me, "alright. So let's talk."

"So we almost kissed," I started.

He nodded and laughed, "No miscommunication there."

"I'm really sorry about freaking out," I said, "I can't really understand why I did other than I was probably scared shitless."

"You were scared shitless? I was scared shitless." He stated, "I thought I did something wrong like murder a puppy."

"No," I covered my face for a moment before dropping my hands, "I wasn't your fault, I just think right now were better off as friends and I didn't want to ruin that by kissing you."

"Maybe you're right," He said and I couldn't get past the small hint of disappointment in his voice, "Just friends is probably better."

"I didn't-" I huffed at myself, "I don't know how to put this into word, but like I don't think there won't ever be a possibility of something else. It's just we've only just became friends after years of bickering and fighting with each other. Yeah we've had this conversation before, but now I find myself asking all the 'what if's'."

"Like what if you had kissed me?"

"Yeah," I agreed feeling a heat rise in my cheeks as I recalled all I thoughts that were going through my head keeping me awake all night, "But then I think about how much I want to be your friend first."

"I can understand that," He said nodding, "Get to know someone and if you can't see yourself being with them then you don't have to worry about a messy break-up."

"Something like that," I agreed, "plus half the fun of any kind of relationship is getting to know someone."

He smiled, "yeah. You're right."

"So maybe you didn't handle things right last night," He said putting emphasis on maybe.

I laughed covering my face, "Oh shut up."

He laughed as well, "Hey, it's okay. I can totally understand why you would be totally intimidated by my good looks and charms."

I moved my hands laughing loudly now, "Sure, that's what it was."

"It totally was, don't even lie," He laughed.

"You're a jackass," I continued to laugh.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," He patted my shoulder, "you wouldn't be the first."

"I'm going to slap you," I said, "again."

"Ouch, really? That's the best you've got?" He scoffed, "Come on work up the Gryffindor courage and really give it to me."

I rolled my eyes, "Sometimes being a true Gryffindor is knowing when to pick your fights. Something you would have no knowledge of."

"Nice," He commented proudly, "That was good. Keep that up."

"I'm walking away from you," I said getting up.

"True Gryffindor's know when to walk away," He teased, "You're doing a great job."

I laughed walking away from him only to hear his own laughter follow after me, "Hey, thanks for showing me how to be a true Gryffindor. Almost forgot for a moment there."

I shoved him with all my force - which was extremely pathetic, "Why won't you go away?"

"Because you're stuck with me forever," He grinned and slung his arm around my shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

October rolled around and Hogwarts looked as beautiful as ever. Lily and I decided to take a break from our endless amount of homework to enjoy the outdoors. It was mostly because it was the one day out of the week that it stopped raining and the sun decided to show again. It was also a Hogsmeade trip so that is where we decided to go.

"Do you really need anything while we're here? Or can we just walk around outside before going to the Three Broomsticks?" Lily asked as we arrived.

"Are you forgetting the endless supplies of sweets that I most definitely need," I replied questioning her sanity.

"Of course," She rolled her eyes, "how could I forget?"

"I don't know, but do you want to go there first or wait?" I asked.

"Let's go now so you don't forget," She said shaking her head as I excitedly squealed at her answer.

"You make me the happiest girl alive," I beamed at her.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's your sugar intake that does that," she lectured on our walk to Honeydukes.

I rolled my eyes, "My aunt is a firm believer in sweets and so am I. Don't insult us with this negativity towards them."

We entered the sweets shop and were welcomed by the warm sweet air.

"This is probably my favorite place on the planet," I smiled smelling the air. I got my usual haul with a couple new sweets here and there.

"Happy now?" Lily asked as we left the shop.

"I'm elated," I grinned.

"Someone looks absolutely gleeful."

I turned my head at the sound of his voice to see Sirius and the rest of the Marauders walking towards us.

"More than actually," I corrected.

Remus, who was beside Sirius, took notice that we seemed to have just left Honeydukes, "I see you've had your sugar intake for the day."

"Hey, I'm not even as bad as you Remus," I claimed.

"That is very true," He replied, "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He grinned making his way past them into Honeydukes.

"We're going to go join him," James said, "Make sure he doesn't overdose on chocolate or something of that nature."

He left with a friendly nod to me and a wink to Lily before entering the shop with Peter.

"Hey you should just buy a bunch of sweets for no one in particular, just because," I said to Sirius, already buzzed with sugar.

"Oh please don't listen to her," Lily exclaimed and pulled my arm in the opposite direction, "We are going far away from this place."

Sirius barked in laughter, "I'll see you guys later."

He followed his friends into Honeydukes and Lily and I went on our own way around the town.

The rest of midmorning and some of our afternoon was spent walking around Hogsmeade and window shopping in all the shops - Lily kept me safely away from Honeydukes. Before the afternoon could escape us we headed to the Three Broomsticks and ordered a couple of butterbeers.

"Hey, if I head back to the castle early would you be mad?" Lily asked as we sat down with our butterbeers, "I promised Severus I'd study with him a bit today."

"No, that's totally fine," I said, "I'll probably go back to the castle and study as well. I do have a letter to my aunt to write, so I can probably get that done."

"Thanks," She said smiling gratefully.

After she finished her butterbeer she left to go back to the castle, leaving me to finish my butterbeer by myself. It's not that I hate Snape it's just that I wasn't ever comfortable being around him. I always got the feeling that he hated me for unknown reasons. So whenever Lily went off with him, I stayed behind.

"Well if it isn't little miss sugar high," I turned to see Sirius sliding into Lily's empty seat, "Where's your partner in crime?"

"She went back to the castle to study with Snape," I explained.

He didn't hide his disgust for the guy very well - or at all - as he scoffed rolling his eyes at his name.

"I'll say no more on the matter," He politely said and changed the subject, "Got any plans for the rest of the day?"

"No, not really. I was probably going to go back to the castle and find something to do," I shrugged.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked, "I lost the guys a while ago."

"Sure why not," I said and drank the last of my butterbeer before getting up and leaving with him.

We traveled in silence for a bit until we reached the castle grounds.

"You know," Sirius started thoughtfully, "I do recall from sometime ago that I may ask you a question and only get your full honesty. Not that I don't believe you are always a remarkably truthful person, but I can't let this opportunity dwell for much longer."

"Oh boy," I laughed, "I guess I should have been prepared for this."

He laughed as well, "I promise it won't be too terrible."

"Well as long as you promise," I rolled my eyes and he laughed again, "Alright, let me hear it then."

We stopped walking to face each other properly.

"I feel like I should explain myself, but last time I did it freaked both of us out," He said, "So I'll just ask my question and hope you still know where we stand."

"You're really not good at this," I said laughing it off.

"No I'm really not," He scratched the back of his head, "Would you ever consider going out with me?"

When I gave him this question I figured that he would ask something like this, I just didn't know how long it would take him to ask. Or what my answer would be. Beginning of the school year? It would have been a straight no. Now we're friends… that sometimes cross an invisible barrier of more than friends before jumping back into safe waters. It looks like today is going to be one of those days where we take another step through this barrier.

I suddenly realized that maybe I should stop debating all this junk in my head and actually answer his question.

I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment. Total honesty. That's what I promised. A promise is a promise.

"Hm," I hummed, "Would the context be just a date or a relationship?"

"Whatever you decide," He said.

"Huh, well To answer honestly; yeah I guess I would. In either of those context I suppose," I answered almost shrugging the subject off completely.

"Really? 'yeah I guess' What kind of answer is that?" He scoffed.

"It's an honest one," I replied solemnly.

He blinked staring at me in disbelief, "I think you're actually insane."

I laughed, "What? How am I insane? You're the one who asked and I promised the truth."

"Well you're truth is as if I asked you how's the weather," He laughed.

"The weather could be better, it was actually great today - besides cold - no rain so that's a plus," I answered his unasked question.

"I take it back," He said staring at me in almost wonder, "You're not insane, you're just driving me insane."

I flashed him a smile and batted my eyelashes, "Of course I am, it's what I do best."

He laughed again tilting his head back almost sounding like a dog barking. The picture of Sirius as a dog made me giggle along with him.

"Come on crazy I want to go inside before I get any colder," I said tugging his sleeve in the direction of the castle. We walked all the way back to the common room while talking animatedly about how crazy he really is.

"I guess I'm going to have to check myself in at St Mungo's," He said before saying the password to get into the common room. The Fat Lady swung open giving us both a smile.

"You can't do that because then who would be here to entertain me through all these OWLs?" I questioned.

"Fine, I guess I'll be staying in the real world for a little while longer then," He sighed.

We drifted to a couch to sit on.

"Have you done the essay for Transfigurations yet?" I asked remembering all the homework we've been getting because of the OWLs.

"Yes, but no I won't be letting you reading it," He answered.

"What why not? You can read mine," I asked offended.

"Because," He exaggerated every syllable, "It is not quality work for me and I'm not writing it again no matter what you tell me."

"Don't you want good grades?" I questioned, "I'm just trying to help."

"Thank you but I'll get better grades on anything but this essay," He said then changed the subject, "Now onto other things. So James and I were talking about our Christmas plans. Have any?"

"I'll most likely go home and spend time with my aunt," I answered, "Why? What are you two planning?"

"Well I don't go home for Christmas, I either stay here or go home with James and we were planning on whether or not we would this year," He explained.

"I see," I nodded.

"So far it looks like we're going but it all depends on his parents work, but-"

"Oh!" I gasped cutting him off, "I almost forgot! Hold on for a second!"

He laughed at me as I jumped up from my seat, "Forgot what?"

"Hold on," I ran upstairs to my dorm. Talking about my aunt reminded me that I had gotten a letter from her earlier that day and I didn't want to put off writing her back any longer. I grabbed her letter, a piece of parchment, and a quill and ink bottle before going back downstairs.

"My aunt wrote to me and I wanted to write back to her before I actually forget," I explained as his curious gaze found me walking back to where we were sitting. This time I sat on the floor in front of the couch he was on so I could use a coffee table to write on.

"I see," He hummed.

"Now what were you say?" I asked and nudged his leg with my elbow for him to continue what he was saying.

"Oh right," He said, "but if we do end up going to his house for the holidays then we should hang out or something."

"That sounds fun," I said, "maybe you guys can come over to my house and meet my crazy aunt. Fair warning-she's crazier than me."

"Does it really get crazier than you?" He teased.

"Yes, apparently it's you because as I do recall I'm perfectly sane," I said leading my attention to the letter in my hands.

"Touche," He said.

The letter read;

Juliet,

I hope all your school work is well and you've been enjoying yourself. I promise I haven't been into too much trouble, but that doesn't mean I've completely stayed out of it. As always when you're away at school I try to find a new hobby, this time it's been people watching. Unfortunately this neighborhood is very dull so I'm pretty sure we're going to have to move. I'll try to keep myself entertained with these boring people for now, but I'll only last for so long.

Love your Aunt Tracy

"You should tell her to take up knitting. I hear it's quite relaxing," Sirius said over my shoulder.

I turned my head and raised my eyebrows at him, "We've talked about the whole reading other people's letters thing right?"

"I'm not going to even lie," He said, "I read it over your shoulder and I feel no regret about it. If I'm a rule breaker then I'm proud."

I rolled my eye, "You've been a rule breaker since first year."

He grinned like a child, "So are you going to tell her? I mean I feel as though now I am a part of this letter having read it over your shoulder."

"You're impossible," I stated then grabbed a piece of parchment I brought down with me to write my reply.

Aunt Tracy,

School is good and I'm enjoying myself. I can imagine the amount of trouble you get yourself into but opt out of telling me. My friend Sirius recommends that you take up knitting. He - like you - likes to invade my privacy and had read my letter from you. He made note that knitting is very relaxing. Hopefully it's a better option than people watching so we don't have to move. If that fails I'm sure he'll think of something else. Do try to stay entertained.

Lots of love from Juliet and Cooley (and apparently Sirius who is concerned with your entertainment)

"You're really putting that all on me aren't you?" He asked of course reading my reply to her.

"Well when she gets offended by the idea of knitting she won't yell at me for it," I explained.

"Or she'll realize what a great idea it is and praise me for it," He countered.

"I'm very sure," I rolled my eyes, "Really? Knitting though? Couldn't think of anything better?"

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it," He defended.

"Are you telling me that you knit?" I questioned.

"Juliet, there are only so many aspects of my life I choose to share with you. Whether or not I knit is something I'm going to leave to your imagination," He spoke as if he was giving life's greatest advice.

"You're a child," I said making him grin like one, "It's nearly dinner time, can we go to the owlery before then so I can mail this? Or would you rather sit around up here and knit me a sweater?"

"Who said I knitted sweaters? I could be a scarf expert."

"You said it was up to my imagination," I got up off the floor, "So are you knitting me a sweater or are you joining me on a walk to send this letter?"

He sat there for a minute contemplating it, "Fine I'll go, but I'm not happy about the sweater."

"Too bad," I smiled and we walked out of the common room only to bump into his three friends.

"Oh hey Sirius we were looking for you," James said not bothering to greet either of us, "Lost you sometime after Zonko's."

"Yeah I was looking for you guys but then I gave up," Sirius explained.

"And now he's going to knit me a beautiful sweater," I added.

"I'm telling you, it's going to be a scarf," He argued.

"What are you two on about?" Remus questioned giving us both a strange look.

"Sirius knits now," I explained, "He says it's very relaxing."

"School can just be so stressful sometimes. I just look for ways to escape," Sirius shrugged.

"Alright," James nodded, "These two are in their own world again. We'll see you at dinner in a few?"

"Yeah I'll see you guys then," Sirius replied nodding them a farewell before we continued in the direction of the owlery.

"You know what I've noticed?" I asked breaking the silence we've had since leaving his fellow Marauders. We were making our way up the stairs to the owlery, I was walking behind Sirius because he walked up the stairs faster than I could.

"What?" He asked glancing briefly towards me.

"That when just the two of us hang out we tend to do what James said," I said.

"Go off into our own world?" He asked to clarify as he stood at the top of the steps pulling the door to the owlery open.

"Yeah," I answered hopping up the last few steps walking through the door he held open.

"Hm," He hummed thinking it over, "I guess we do. That kind of funny cause I do that with the guys and you sometimes will do it with Evans."

"I guess that means we've truly become friends," I praised giving my letter to an owl.

"Proud of us," He gushed in a weird voice that made me laugh.

"I never would have thought that this is how this year would end up," I said as the owl flew away.

"This is all thanks to me," He said not at all acting conceited, "Lets be honest you would never be this newly changed person who is trying new and bolder things if it wasn't for me. I can't take all the credit but you know I'm going to anyways."

I rolled my eyes, "You're so modest."

"It's a gift."


	11. Chapter 11

I'm pretty sure that the scent of the Christmas holiday is the greatest scent. Ever. All the wonderful scents of this time of the year combine together in the greatest aromatherapy of the holiday. Pine, wood burning, peppermint, cinnamon - merlin cinnamon is the best smell ever, and even the snow have a special smell. I guess you can say that Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Except the cold, that shit makes my eyes water and my nose run, I hate the cold. All the cookies that I consume this time of the year will make up for it, so I forgive the cold.

So here at Hogwarts we're well into December and classes have come to a pause. It's time for most of the students to head home to their families and do whatever they please with this time off. For me it means going home to my crazy aunt and baking cookies until I myself become a cookie. Which is where I'm heading now, home for the holiday's.

Train rides are great places to sit and completely zone out. Especially when you got no sleep the night before. There is just something about the flow of the train that makes it so comforting to just look like a complete idiot while your friends try to get you attention. I wasn't having it. This was my time to be in the void between reality and some other world in my mind. As tired as I am (as delusional as I am) I'm excited to go home and see my aunt for a little while. We plan on going gift shopping tomorrow and then we'll bake every single cookie that we know how to make. I will be entering my special place for the holiday's. The place where I can eat cookies for breakfast and no one will tell me not to, because we'll have way too many cookies in the house to argue when they're allowed to be feasted upon.

"Hello my dear, rise and shine."

The tapping on my forehead made me shake out of whatever mental state I was in, perhaps it was a nap or just daydreaming.

"Are we there?" I asked focusing on my beautiful ginger friend.

She nodded then grinned, "You're really out of it aren't you."

"Yes," I didn't even bother defending, "I got like no sleep last night and I started thinking about cookies."

"Poor Juliet," She teased and patted my shoulder, "let's go, we're here and in no time you will be in your bed at home sleeping until the end of the holidays. Then eat all the cookies you want."

I smiled, "That sounds lovely."

Getting our stuff and getting off of the train has proven to be difficult over the years. Everyone is over excited and just wants to go home, so they're all rushing at once. Not a very good system. Lily and I took our time to even get off of the train.

I felt like a literal zombie pushing through all my classmates. The holidays have proven to not be very beneficial to my sleeping habits, or anyones for that matter, because I felt like a zombie in a sea of fellow zombies and overly excited puppies. Lily being one of those puppies bouncing up and down because she was too excited to see her family.

"Ladies!"

Lily's bouncing stopped as James and his fellow marauders made their way towards us in the crowd. She wasn't too used to treating them like decent human beings, but I'm not one to force her into doing anything. She'll come around on her own.

"Ack! Stop with the cheerfulness already," I cringed at their bright and smiling faces.

"Somebody did not wake up on the right side of the bed," Remus observed.

"Try not sleeping at all to begin with," I said.

"I'm pretty sure you napped on the train," Lily said, "I kind of just let you be because you had that, 'I'm the living dead don't touch me," look on your face."

"Okay so I woke up on the wrong side of the train," I rolled my eyes.

"Looks like you need to sleep for a couple of days so you can get into the Christmas spirit," James said.

"Excuse you sir, but I am so very merry with the Christmas spirit. It's your friends fault for my lack of sleep because he is so damn competitive when it comes to wizard chess," I said giving Sirius the best glare I could force myself to give. That he laughed at.

"I'm not the competitive one, you are," He defended.

"I am not. You were mad that I won the first two games and wanted to play until you won," I huffed.

"Maybe you should have let me win," He shot back.

"Maybe you should shut up because reasons," I tried to argue.

"Alright you two break it up," Lily said stepping in.

I grumbled unhappily to myself as Sirius grinned like a child.

"Okay, let's go before she rips off Padfoots head," James said slapping a hand on Sirius' shoulder, "Have a great Christmas!"

Lily hooked her arm through mine and led me away from them and off of the platform. Ah yes, the pleasant switch from being surrounded by traveling young wizards and their parents to angsty muggles.

Her parents and my aunt have taken to just waiting for us outside of the station, it just worked out better this way. So when we finally made it through our second sea of bodies there was hope for us.

Okay this whole being tired thing makes me a little melodramatic, but I hate train stations. They smell and people are either too angry or too happy. There is no inbetween. Well except for the dazed and confused idiots, can't forget those.

"Finally my dear," My aunt cheered as I parted from Lily, "I never thought I would see you again!"

And I'm labeled as the melodramatic one.

"Well this clearly wasn't the plan," I said as she took Cooley's cage from me, "I was planning on running away forever and living in the wilderness, but I missed my train."

She rolled her eyes, "Haven't changed a bit."

"It's only been a little over three months," I said, "and I think I am a completely different Juliet than the Juliet you knew back in September."

"Is that so?" She asked wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we walked to the car, "And what, may I ask, has changed about my darling Juliet?"

"I'm clearly smarter," I said, "Do you have any idea how many essays I have written these past few months? I can't even remember, but it's a lot."

"Oh, I was thinking it had something to do with this new friend of yours that has been making appearances in your lovely little letters to me," She waggled her eyebrows at me.

Ah yes, the letter tradition between my aunt and Sirius continued on. They should just become pen pals and leave my letters out of it.

I rolled my eyes, "Don't you think I would have told you already?"

"Of course not," She laughed as we stood outside of the car after putting my stuff in the trunk, "but anyways, tell me about him."

"Not much to tell," I shrugged, "We never really got along but this year we decided to turn a new leaf and be friends. Turns out we're great friends."

"Friends who spend a lot of time together from what I can tell."

"Not more than I spend with Lily," I defended.

"Yes but this is different from you and Lily," She said.

"Not really."

"Oh don't lie to me," She scoffed, "I can see right through you."

"We're not dating. We're just good friends who happen to kind of like each other but don't want to cross the line of being friends," I attempted to explain.

"So, he likes you?"

I nodded.

"And you like him?"

I nodded a bit more hesitantly.

"But you just want to stay friends?"

I nodded more certainly.

"Okay," She said then got in the car. And just like that, this conversation was over.

Let's backtrack to the wonderful things about Christmas because right now my house has perfectly reached a heavenly level of Christmas cheer. My aunt is a classy woman who likes to dress nice and keep her house nice - with the exception when she experiments in the kitchen. This means her Christmas decorating skills are on point. Nothing is too gaudy or too bare. Everything is just right. Along with the beautiful scent of the holidays. Pine from our fresh pine tree, cinnamon mixed with other baking smells, peppermint from the candles my aunt keeps lit, and the smell of the fire burning in the fireplace.

I have definitely reached maximum Christmas spirit. Lily was over and my aunt gave us small tasks to complete while she worked away in the kitchen making, something, I don't know.

We were currently putting stamps on her Christmas cards to her friends and whatever family members that were still alive. She's not the only living relative I have the rest are just old or don't care to keep in touch so no Christmas cards from me. I like writing my own letters to my friends to wish them 'happy holiday's'. This is how I've kept in touch with a few of my muggle friends from when I went to muggle school. Pen pals are fun to have.

"You're aunt complains too much about being lonely when she has this many Christmas cards to send to people," Lily complained putting a stamp on the envelope.

"I don't even think she cares if they're her friend," I said, "She just had to speak to them once this year and their on the list."

"How would she get their addresses to send them though?" She questioned.

"It's all about that first conversation," I said, "She'll talk to somebody about the weather and then she's telling them how wonderful they are and asks for their address to send them a special Christmas card."

She shook her head, "I doubt that happens."

"So? It explains all these cards," I said.

"True," She nodded putting the last stamp on the last card.

Lily laughed, "So what do you want to do now?"

"Board game?" I suggested

We narrowed our eyes at each other for a moment before both nodding and agreeing, "Board game."

We put away all the cards and then we broke out Monopoly because we like to destroy our friendship.

Hours later Lily and I were in a heated, dare I say, disagreement when there was a knock on the door.

"Are either of you going to get that?" My aunt from the kitchen asked.

"What is the issue with my trade? You said you wanted all of the orange and I have one to give at the low low price of Pacific Avenue," I said to Lily, neither of us were listening to my aunt because of this very important conversation.

"I just don't think its a fair trade because St. James Place is still up for grabs but you have the other two green," She countered.

"I'll get the door then, since you're both so busy," My aunt muttered walking past us to the door.

"But you can easily land on that property to buy it."

"And what if you do?"

"We'll have to see if it comes to that."

"No, I'm not making this deal. I can't have you build houses on your properties while I still have things I need to purchase."

"Oh come on! We came to an agreement on the railroads, why not this?"

"Because your greedy and I can't lose all my money to you!"

I gasped, "I am not greedy."

"Really? Tell that to Virginia Avenue," She countered crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey I thought she only gave me that look."

We simultaneously jumped and screamed at this new voice.

"What the crap!" I exclaimed

"Oh, Juliet dear, you have a visitor," My aunt said carelessly. She stood in the entrance next to Sirius.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, "Wow, okay that sounded rude. Sorry. What I meant was how did you know where I live?"

"I wrote you this morning and your aunt replied," He said, "Thought you knew."

"Whoops, thats my fault," My aunt said looking guilty, "I forget to tell you."

"Are you not only reading my mail but replying to it now? What have I done to deserve this from you?" I asked in mock hurt.

"It's a habit," She brushed off, "I forgot you were home and slightly just thought the letter was for me."

"Really? A letter that's addressed to me was actually meant for you?" I raised my eyebrows at her, "Does 'Dear Juliet' mean nothing to you?"

"I was just used to getting your letters and when I was it was from your friend Sirius I thought nothing of it," She defended, "It's not my fault that you're not the only person in your letters. Sorry for the mistake, you're friend is here you should be nice."

"I can't be nice when Lily refuses to trade me Pacific Avenue for New York Avenue," I said then glared at Lily.

"It's not a fair trade!" She exclaimed.

"Yes it is!"

"You're not getting Pacific Avenue until either of us has St. James Place and that is final. You can keep New York Avenue, I don't care," She said dismissing the subject.

I shook my head at her, "We used to be friends."

"Okay, lets put this game away" She suggested.

I nodded, "It's for the best."

"Finally, you two have been bickering all morning," My aunt sighed in relief, "Well Sirius enjoy these two, I must be getting back to my cookies."

Lily and I cleaned up the game and slid the box under the sofa where it belongs. Before we could do much there was honking outside the house. I exchanged a weird look with Lily before looking out the window while she checked the time.

"Oh shoot, that's my dad," She said, "How did we get this involved in a damn board game?"

I shrugged, "Nothing matters when you play monopoly, only monopoly."

"Well I have to get going then," She gave me a hug then waved awkwardly to Sirius, "Nice seeing you, happy holiday's."

He waved back wishing her a happy christmas before she said goodbye to my aunt and left.

"Well hello," I greeted Sirius properly now, "Sorry I didn't get your letter, so what brings you here?"

"James and his parents went to visit some family and I decided not to go, but to also not sit around all day," He explained.

"I see," I hummed, "We can go bother my aunt and eat a lot of cookies."

"Sounds delightful. I like your aunt," He said.

"I'm warning you. She's crazy," I lead him to the kitchen.

"I'm no more crazy than you are," My aunt said as we entered.

"I disagree, you're pretty crazy. Like do you look around when you're baking or is there too much flour in you eyes?" I questioned looking around the disaster of a kitchen.

"I don't think of it as a mess," She said, "It's all part of a masterpiece."

"Because that's not crazy," I said taking a cookie off of the counter and handed one to Sirius.

"Oh drop it Juliet," She said giving me a look that might have been intimidating if I haven't seen it so many times in my life. The look only lasted barely a second before she changed the subject, "So tell me about yourself Sirius."

Ah yes, now she shall turn on him and play a game of twenty questions with her lost distant pen pal.

He looked almost startled, "Not much to tell."

"Oh he's being so modest," I said sarcastically walking over to the fridge to get the milk out, "Here I'll help."

I cleared my throat and deepened my voice to attempt to mock Sirius, "Most days I'm cool. Some days not so cool, could be cooler. Then some days I'll wake up and I've underestimated my coolness. I'm just cool."

"You really need to work on your impersonation of me," Sirius commented, "That was just a very poor attempt."

"I know," I said setting the milk down on the counter for me to get a cup, "My impersonation of James is far better. I'll have to work on yours."

"Like, I'm not as chill as you made me sound. If you want someone to believe that its actually me, then you have to really speak highly of yourself," He explained.

"Right so like, 'I'm like super cool all the time. Except for when I'm not, but even then I'm still really cool," I attempted after pouring my milk.

He nodded judging my performance, "You're on the right path."

My aunt snorted shaking her head muttering something I didn't quite catch. It almost sounded something along the lines of, "perfect for each other." But lets just say I'm crazy.

There was a soft meow from the other room and soon enough the meowing grew louder as my cat came running into the kitchen. He ran all the way to Sirius continuously meowing at his feet.

"Looks like somebody missed you," My aunt commented raising her eyebrow at my usually lazy cat.

Sirius bent down and picked him up to give him proper attention. Cooley never looked happier.

"Do you two need a room?" I asked as Cooley happily rubbed himself on Sirius' face purring loudly.

Sirius rolled his eyes at me but continued to pet my cat.

We drifted into conversations while hovering in the kitchen with my aunt. Time flew by and the three of us we sitting around the kitchen table, occasionally eating a cookie, and talking.

"So you have wizard parents and you grew up in the wizarding world?" My aunt asked.

"Yeah both of my parents are wizards, but they're not the greatest people in the world," He said then with my aunts quizzical look he continued, "There are unfortunately some witches and wizards who believe in keeping bloodline pure, they don't like muggle borns being let into the wizarding world. Which is stupid but my parents happen to be some of those people."

"Huh, so they wouldn't like my Juliet?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"Then how come you're here? Don't they know where they are?"

"I don't really get on very well with them," He said uncomfortably, "So I don't spend most of the holiday's with them."

"Oh I'm so sorry dear," My aunt apologized seeing that she poked her nose in places she probably should have left alone, "I've made you uncomfortable. Please ignore me I'm only curious."

He laughed it off, "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Well you seem like a very nice boy so in my books that means you're always welcome in my home," My aunt smiled trying to fix the situation she put herself in. In my opinion she was only making things more awkward. But Sirius was a trooper and thanked her for her kindness before she excused herself from the room.

"I'm sorry about her," I said once I knew she was out of earshot.

"She was only curious," He said picking up a cookie breaking it in half.

"She's always curious," he handed me one of the cookie halves and I decided to change the subject, "So, do you and James have anything planned for the wonderful holiday season."

"Well we were going to see who could eat our body weight in cookies, but it seems I may have done that today," He answered biting into the cookie.

"Looks like you'll have to find something new to do," I said.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll come up with something. Our holiday's are pretty relaxed though. That might be the case with this year, given that these O. are kicking our asses," He shuddered at the thought of our exams.

"It's a good break for now, but we'll have to go back eventually," I said solemnly eating my cookie.

The Holiday's seemed to breeze by with as much festivity as one could handle. It may be one of my favorite times of the year, but getting back to Hogwarts was something I'll always cherish.

* * *

my apologies for the delay of this chapter but I was sick and fell behind on my school work and my writing.


	12. Chapter 12

To sum up this year into a list it would start off with me turning a new leaf. I expanded my trust and made new friends. A new best friend really, because Sirius has become the male version of Lily to me. Lily herself even became better friends with him, well I wouldn't say friends. It would probably be better described as tolerated acquaintanceship. Sadly that could not be said for James. I put more effort into my school work so I could prepare for the OWLs and hopefully it'll pay off. Things were good.

But all good things always come to a crashing halt eventually.

It was the evening after we all finished taking our exams, Lily and I layed in my bed, she was curled on her side and I was laying on my back with our hands were woven together. After she had told me what happened we laid here in silence, with the exception of her sniffling.

"I think I'm going to hex each and every one of those bastards," I spoke up finding the anger was welling up inside of me the more I thought about it. I was completely certain that it was because my best friend got hurt today and there was nothing I could do to prevent it from happening. That is a shitty feeling.

"Don't," She said her voice raw from crying, "It's done with, they're not worth it."

"I don't care anyone who makes my best friend cry like this deserves what he gets," I said then huffed with disgust, "I can't believe he had the nerve to call you that."

"Please don't Juliet," she begged, "I never want to speak to him again. He was my best friend before Hogwarts and those stupid Slytherins took him away from me."

She had started crying again. She was honest before that she was more hurt than she was angry, but James had the fucking nerve to ask her out while all of this was happening. Who the hell wouldn't snap at that dumb bastard.

"Lily honey, I promise I won't go after him but I'm making no promises of James' or any of the Marauder's safety," I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Thank you," She let out in between a whimper.

"Why don't you trying to calm down a sleep for a bit," I suggested, "Sleep always help you feel better."

"That sounds like a good idea," she said, "can I stay here and sleep?"

"Of course," I said, "I'm going to go downstairs for a bit, but I'll be back."

"Don't hurt anyone too bad, promise?"

"I promise," I said and got up pulling my hand out of hers. Cooley jumped on the bed where I was laying to curl up with Lily.

I walked down to the common room and scanned it for those four bastards. Unluckily they were nowhere to be seen. I saw a boy who was in our year and walked over to them to ask, "Hey have you seen James Potter or any of his friends?"

"Uh yeah," He said, "I think they're up in their dorm."

"Mind directing me that way?" I asked.

He hesitated but he seemed to catch on to the fact that I wasn't in the mood to mess around. So he told me which dorm was exactly theirs-in great detail might I add. Smart boy.

"Thanks," I said and headed up to their dorm. I found the exact one and burst in without warning.

"I have more than half a mind to beat the living daylights out of all of you right now," I said furiously.

"We ca-"

"Shut up," I snapped cutting off Sirius from trying to reason with anything, "my best friend is crying her eyes out and I can't do anything to fucking help her. As much as I'd rather be taking all this anger out on that greasy bastard I promised Lily I wouldn't, so you four idiots get my rage."

"I had no idea he would ever speak to Lily that way," James said having the most courage to speak.

"Yeah well he did and no offence it's kind of your fault it happened today," I said harshly, "Actually no, you can take that as offence because I'm angry at all of you. It's one of the worst feelings ever to be called that and he was her best friend. Do you understand how shitty that is? How much of a wreck she fucking is?"

They didn't say anything. Their faces were full of guilt but it didn't make me feel any better. I stood there with my hands on my hips fighting back any tears that threatened to leak out with my anger.

"I am sorry," James said quietly.

"That's just great," I sneared, "I'm leaving now because I am tired, angry, and sick of looking at your dumb faces," I dropped my hands and took a step backwards out of their dorm. I didn't bother looking at any of them before I left because seeing them made me angrier. But this anger was tiring so I went back to my dorm before I could talk myself into going back and doing some physical damage with some well used hexes. I wiped away the angry tears that fell on my cheeks.

"You didn't harm them did you?" Lily asked when I entered.

"If I did don't you think I'd be in Dumbledore's office right now getting expelled?" I asked walking back over to my bed - where she still was - laying down.

"True," she said, "what did you do?"

"I yelled at them," I answered, "Hopefully made them feel like shit. Whether or not either of us talk to any of them again is up to the future."

"Makes me wish I actually took Divination more seriously," Lily mused.

"Maybe we can go up to her classroom and get our fortunes told," I said, "wouldn't that be great? Knowing what our futures hold."

"I wouldn't want to know," She said, "I'd rather live to find out what happens."

"Yeah I would to, but when life hurts you sometimes you need a little boost that things will get better in the future," I sigh, "Lets go to sleep, you must be exhausted."

"Sure," She whispered and pulled my hand up to her mouth to kiss the back of it, "Goodnight Juliet."

"Goodnight Lily," I replied as she put our hands down.

Back onto the beautiful scarlet train, okay maybe if it wasn't for all the crowds I would actually love traveling. But I don't because the people are annoying, the places? That's a different story.

When Lily and I woke up this morning we both decided to put yesterday behind us. For lack of better terms, we put on our brave faces and cheerfully took on this day. Be a better person. We agreed not to throw away all we achieved this year all because of yesterday's incident. All because it meant we got to go home and take a break from school for a while. The summer is the perfect time to take a breather and forgive those willing to apologize. We both found a compartment with a couple of our other friends, their names are Marline and Alice. Our conversations were mostly about the exams we just went through and how we planned on spending our summer.

Halfway through our trip home I left to use the bathroom and as I was headed back to the compartment I bumped into someone.

"I'm ter-Oh hey," I said noticing that it was Sirius.

He seemed slightly cautious, "Hey Juliet."

"So uh," I shifted awkwardly, "sorry for running into you, that was my bad."

"Running into each other seems to happen a lot to us," He said scratching the back of his head nervously.

I nodded, "Well, I'll just be off then…"

I stepped around him to head back to my compartment. He grabbed my arm to get my attention again, "Hey, I'm really sorry," he said, "We all are."

It was one of those rare times that I saw Sirius so genuine. Me yelling at them must have really made them think. Good. I've learned not to care about their shenanigans, but when it affects my friends there will be hell - as displayed. But, today was decide to be a new day, and in my tree of life I took another leaf and turned it over.

I studied his face for another moment before smiling, "I know. It's a new day so don't screw it up."

I left him with the flash of my genuine smile and helpful advice to finally make it back to my compartment.

"You okay?" Lily questioned my good mood as I walked in.

"Peachy," I answered and went back to our conversation with Alice and Marline.

The train arrived at platform 9 and ¾ not much more explaining can be done, but the end of the school year made this platform just as crazy as any other time of the year. I had a wild curiosity as to what it would be like to stand here when it was empty.

"Come on lets go," Lily pulled me with her off the train. We gathered our things onto individual trolleys but stay around to say goodbye to friends.

"Juliet!"

I turned and saw Sirius, with Remus following behind him, making his way through the crowd.

"Remus claims to have stolen something of yours," Sirius said making it to me first.

"I didn't steal it," Remus said catching up and handed me a book, "You let me use it and I forgot to give it back. Luckily I spotted it this morning."

It was in fact one of my books. I had completely forgotten about it, "Oh I forgot about that, thanks for getting it back."

"Sure thing," He smiled, "I should get going. Have a good summer Juliet."

"You too," I returned the smile, "Be sure to write."

He agreed before fading into the crowd.

"I should get going too," Sirius said, "Before my beast of a mother finds me."

As if she had some magical powers - ha, get it - a woman hissed for Sirius through the crowd.

"Speak of the devil," He shook his head, "Enjoy yourself this summer Juliet."

"You too Sirius," I smiled apologetically as she hissed for him again. I was unsure what exactly what she was saying but it probably wasn't very nice judging by her tone of hiss. I'm also pretty sure I heard the M word come into play.

Sirius on the other hand seemed to have picked up on what his mothering was saying and looked more than annoyed.

"You should go," I gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, "Be sure to-"

He cut me off by crashing his lips to mine.

Oh my what?

What the shit was happening?

Merlin strike me dead.

I couldn't comprehend what was happening other than he was kissing me and I was kissing him back.

He pulled back looking like someone just stunned him.

"I'm sorry," He said dazed, "That was completely impulsive."

I nodded just as dazed, "I see."

"Have a good summer."

"Be sure to write."

With that he too disappeared into the crowd. I was too dumbfounded to move.

"What on earth just happened?" Lily's voiced pulled me back to the platform.

"I have no idea."

She was grinning like a child as she pinched my cheeks, "I can't believe I just witnessed that."

I smacked her hands away.

"Come on little love bird, lets get you home before you collapse or something," She teased.

I rolled my eyes but followed behind her as went through the wall into the muggle world and out of the train station completely to find her parents and my aunt.

Home seemed like the perfect destination to completely flip out, and so I did. Luckily my aunt didn't question why the first thing I did when I got home was scream into a pillow.


	13. Chapter 13

"So I know its getting to be a tad late and you just got home, but do you want to join me with some night shopping?" My aunt asked me, "I have somethings I need to get."

I was laying on the couch attempting to read a book.

"Nah, I think I'll just stay here and relax," I said, "Thanks for the offer though."

"Alright," She seemed unsure. After my mild freak out she probably wanted me to go let off some steam by spending some money. Nice offer, but I was very tired from traveling today. So she left to go get her shopping and I abandoned my book to take a nap. I probably should have just went upstairs and went to bed, but couches can be so comfortable.

When I woke up it was dark and it was obvious that my aunt was still out shopping. I strained my eyes for the clock to see that I only slept for only a little over an hour and a half.

Stretching as I got up I noticed something odd outside. The whole street was dark, no lights from any house or streetlamp. Something was telling me that something very bad was about to happen. My instinct was to stay a still as possible, that is until I noticed something in the sky above a house just on the other side of the street. It wasn't clouds. It was a mark, his mark. Not only was the mark in the sky, but I saw black figures practically floating onto the street.

Panic shot through me and I dropped down to the floor with a squeak to hide myself away from the window crawling over to a chair and wedging myself between the chair and the wall. Some Gryffindor.

"Deep breaths Juliet. Deep quiet breaths," I thought to myself, "Stay quiet. Stay calm. Stay hidden."

I couldn't think of what I could do. I felt for my wand that was still tuck away in my jacket. I couldn't legally do magic outside of Hogwarts but if I'm still glad to have it just in case.

"Okay access the situation Juliet," I thought again, "everything is dark. The dark mark is in the sky. That means there are death eaters here. They're raiding another muggle town like the daily prophet said last month. You're muggle born. You have to stay hidden."

Tears fell silently onto my cheeks, but I refused to make a sound. I refused to even move. Maybe if the house seems empty they'll move on. They can't possibly know specifically that this house has a muggle born living and hiding in it at this very moment.

But what if they do?

"Stop it. Stop it right now," I thought to myself. I slowly move my head to look around the house thinking of a better place to quickly move myself.

Maybe I can make it to the coat closet. If I just quickly crawl- the sound of heavy footsteps in my yard stops any thought of moving. They're getting closer to the front door and I can't even bring myself to breathe anymore, afraid that they'll hear me.

Once they stop I can tell that they're right at the door. Maybe I have a chance that they wont notice me. I slip my hand in my jacket and clutch onto my wand.

I wince, staying hidden between the wall and chair, as the door burst open falling off the hinges into pieces.

More than a part of me is so grateful that my aunt hasn't made it home yet. I close my eyes and duck my head down more so that the deatheater entering my house can't notice me. Their footsteps are heavy and so is their breathing, I almost look up to watch them.

"I know you're in here girl," the death eater spat. I've never heard something so muffled and nonhuman in my whole life, the fear it strikes through me and a new wave of tears fall from my cheeks onto my jeans.

With a whoosh the chair I stayed hidden beside smashes me roughly into the wall. No longer being able to stay quiet, I cry out in pain from the impact and instinctively push the chair away from me.

The deatheater growls with pleasure and raises their wand, and before I can raise mine in defense I am hit by red sparks that force me to hit the same wall again and slip into unconsciousness.

Everything is dark again. Just like waking up before. I slowly open my eyes remembering what just happened, or what I thought just happened. I am expecting that death eater to be standing over me, but instead I am pleasantly blinded.

The room is very bright. I blinked a couple times just help my eyes adjust. Once they do I look around the room.

I'm not in the living room anymore, I'm in a hospital. I sit up ignoring any cords that are protesting my movement, but then something touches my arm and suddenly I feel as though I am back in the living room. I rip myself away from the touch with a shriek nearly falling off of the hospital bed.

I look to see not a death eater, but my best friend, staring at me with eyes as wide as a deer in a set of headlights.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, "I didn't mean to startle you. I-i just-"

I sigh in relief and pull her into a hug. I nearly start crying again as I burry my head into her shoulder.

The sound of the door swinging open doesn't break the hug.

"Ms Walker, oh thank goodness we heard a scream and thought something terrible happened," a voice I didn't recognize spoke.

"Oh Juliet, my dear," the sob of my aunts voice pulled me from Lily's hug into her's.

"I'm very sorry to, but if I could interrupt, I'd like to check and make sure everything is okay so we can work on sending you home as quickly as possible," the same unfamiliar voice speaks again, this time getting my attention. It's my doctor. I agree that I want to leave as soon as possible so he checks what he needs to and a few hours later, seemed longer, he decided that one more night and then I would be good to go.

So that left Lily, my aunt, and myself sitting around my hospital room.

"I think I'll go get us all something to eat," My aunt declared, "want anything specifically?"

Lily and I both shook our heads. With that she left.

"How long was I out?" I asked Lily.

"A few days. Three-well nearly four days, but the doctor said that was mostly from the pain meds they gave you," She answered.

I nodded.

"Your aunt was a mess," She went on, "She called me once you were in the hands of the doctor and I got my dad to drive me up here."

I gave her a sad smile, "Thanks for being with her."

She returned the smile, "Dumbledore was here too, he says he's going to be putting you and your aunt in a safe house until you finish school. He's got everything put together in the couple of days you were out, it was very nice of him."

"That is nice of him," I observed, "Its good too because I don't think I'd be able to go back in that house." I stared at the sterile walls for a moment before changing the subject, "Have you heard from anyone from school?"

"No, I thought of writing to Sirius or Remus, but I didn't really know what to say plus I was helping your aunt stay calm. She is really into knitting," She said. I smiled and laughed at that. "But you did get a letter. I didn't read it, but I think its from Sirius. The handwriting looks like his."

She went into a bag that my aunt filled with some clothes for me and pulled a letter out of the pocket to hand to me. My name was written on the front clearly in Sirius' handwriting. I almost immediately opened it but the thought of what happened at the train station stopped me.

"You think this is about that kiss?" I asked Lily pulling my eyes away from the letter.

"One way to find out," She shrugged still looking giddy about the topic.

I rolled my eyes and tore the letter open.

Juliet,

This is pathetic, the third time I've attempted to write to you and I only saw you yesterday. I'm being stupid mostly because I'm really bad with words. If you're mad, I am really sorry about what I did. I guess the only way to explain it was my mother was annoying me already and you just looked so beautiful. Well you know what they say when opportunity strikes… Sorry again. Hope to hear from you soon.

Sirius

I sighed reading over his words again finding myself smiling at the letter. The picture of Sirius brooding over some parchment was pretty amusing.

"He probably thinks I'm ignoring him," I thought aloud. He said in his letter that he had only just say me yesterday so this is from a few days ago.

"What did he say?" Lily asked.

"Mostly that he was sorry," I explained then just handed it to her to read, "kind of explained why he kissed me."

She read over the letter, "You guys are adorable."

I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want to write back to him? I can let you borrow my owl," She said.

"I think I'll wait until I'm out of here," I said, "Too much to explain and I'm not sure how I'm going to do it."

"Hey girls," My aunt greeted us as she entered with a tray covered with food, "A very confused nurse said this came for you. I have a feeling it was delivered by owl and thats why she was confused."

She handed me a letter.

"Is it from Sirius?" Lily asked looking over the food my aunt brought in.

My face scrunched at the new handwriting, "No," I said and tore the letter open first looking at who it was from. Shocked I said, "Its from James."

Juliet,

My parents told me about an attack in a neighborhood that they said sounded very familiar to yours. They asked Dumbledore, but he won't tell them anything specific other than that you were apart of this attack and that you're okay. I would much rather hear from you that you're okay and that's why I sent this. It'll probably also make Sirius calm the bloody hell down as well.

Write back as soon as possible,

James

"Well I guess I won't need to be saying much other than I'm alive," I said setting down the letter giving my attention to the tray of food.

"They know about the attack?" Lily asked sitting down with a fruit cup.

"Yeah I guess his parents recognized my neighborhood and asked Dumbledore," I replied and picked a turkey sandwich off of the tray.

"He didn't tell them much did he?"

I shook my head taking a bite of my sandwich.

Lily took the letter from the bed where I set it down and read it herself.

"Aw, your boyfriend is worried about you," Lily teased and my aunt raise an eyebrow at me.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I can imagine him now, pacing back and forth wondering if his beautiful girlfriend is alive and well," She went on.

"You're an ass, and he's not my boyfriend."

"He probably hasn't slept a wink-"

"Oi! will you stop?"

"Is she talking about that Sirius boy?" My aunt asked.

"Why yes, yes I am," Lily grinned.

"I loath you right now," I said to Lily then clarified to my aunt, "He's not my boyfriend."

"But he did kiss you," Lily pointed out.

"What happened?" My aunt startlingly asked.

I groaned, "It happened at the train station, I really don't want to talk about this."

"Okay fine, we'll drop it," Lily said sharing a look with my aunt.

I watched them both for a moment, they had identical disappointed looks on their faces, "Fine. You two can talk about it, but I'm ignoring you."

They dove into their gossiping ways while I stayed content with my sandwich. It was good for being hospital food. Hopefully these two would wear out the subject soon enough.

As soon as I got to leave the following day Dumbledore got us settled into a safe house. After we were as settled as we could make with the situation I wrote back to both James and Sirius. Letting them both know I was alive and well, and to Sirius that I wasn't mad.

With Dumbledore's rule of keeping to the house and not having much visitors I knew this was going to be a long and boring summer.


	14. Chapter 14

My summer went by with no more "thrilling" events. It was boring to say the least. The safe house Dumbledore put us in was nice, but he thought it was best to not have very many visitors. So I rarely saw Lily. I did however write to everyone as if my life depended on it - it probably did. I've always loved writing and receiving letters but my friends probably started to get a little annoyed at the rate I sent letters. My bad.

So to recap everything that went on this summer;

Lily's sister is dating someone.

I watched the grass grow.

Remus talked a lot about the books he was reading. He read some good ones.

My aunt got so annoyed with knitting she got very close to burning everything she owned that had to do with knitting. Saw that coming.

Sirius informed me that he got disowned and is now living with James and his family. A really bad time for me to be stuck in this house when I want to be there for my friends.

A spider made his home on the outside of the kitchen window. He caught three flies before the rain washed him out.

That about sums it up I guess. I would trade any other summer I've ever had ever to replace this summer. It sucked. But enough of this sad old boring summer, it's September 1st and I am currently on the train to Hogwarts. Literally just getting on the train and I haven't found anybody that I know. That is until the inevitable happened and I collided with another person. Well not just any person, the only person I seem to always walk into. I noticed him by his laugh and didn't even bother with an apology.

"We have got to stop finding each other like this," Sirius laughed.

"It's not my fault you happen to be standing in the direction I'm walking," I joined him in laughing.

"Well it seems the easiest way to find you," He countered.

"So it seems," I smiled brushing some hair out of my face, "Any chance you've seen a familiar redhead?"

"Actually she's making her way over here now," He said waving to Lily from behind me. I turned my head to find her and sure enough she was making her way through a crowd of people over to us.

"Hey great to find you," She greeted, "Lets go find a compartment they're all taken."

"Sounds great," I said then look at Sirius, "Want to join us?"

"I was actually on a hunt for Remus and something tells me he's in the prefect cart," He said quickly.

"Alright, tell him I said hi when you find him," I said and with a smile he was gone. I turned to Lily, "Let hurry and find a compartment."

She nodded and went set off to find one. It didn't take very long until we did and we put our stuff up.

"It was weird not seeing you almost daily this summer," Lily said sitting down.

"I know," I put some treating in Cooley's cage, "I think I started having some separation anxiety. My aunt was on the verge of strangling me."

She laughed as I sat across from her.

"So you ran into Sirius," She said changing the subject wagging her eyebrow, "What happened?"

I shrugged, "Nothing. I ran into him, we joked about it, and then you came along. To be fairly honest, it was a little awkward."

"Well did you guys talk about the kiss at all this summer?" She astonishly asked.

"Not really, no."

"Well that must be it you dummy," She shook her head at me.

"We didn't really find the time to talk about it," I said, "There were always other things to talk about."

"I'm sure," She agreed sarcastically, "Because both of your summers were interesting enough to look past that monumental kiss."

I rolled my eyes at her dramatics, "We'll talk about it eventually."

"Yes, when you're both old and gray and unhappily married to other people."

"You are being absolutely ridiculous today," I pointed out

"Yes, and it's because I haven't seen you all summer!" She exclaimed.

"Not true."

"Well it feels like it."

I laughed, "Well we have all school year to make up for it."

We finally made it back to Hogwarts for a wonderful feast and a new school year. I found myself sitting on a couch in the common room enjoying the familiar surroundings. While also talking with Sirius. On the outside everything would probably seem like two friends just catching up, but that wasn't the case. Yes, we were talking about our summers, but something was just… weird.

I found myself laughing at something he had said but caught him looking away scratching his head nervously.

"Okay," I exhaled loudly after my fit of laughter, "I really think this whole awkward thing between us need to stop."

"What are you talking about? Nothing's awkward," He scoffed foolishly.

I rolled my eyes, "You have been awkward since we ran into each other this morning."

"I don't know what you're talking about," He said in attempt to be ignorant of the subject.

I studied him for a moment and my thoughts returned to what Lily said on the train. Suddenly my eyes widened in realization that she may be right, "This is about that kiss."

He couldn't even stutter out a response before I burst out in giggles.

"Oh go ahead and laugh at me," He rolled his eyes then with a sarcastic tone stated, "real mature."

"Oh? Because you know what maturity is like?" I questioned through my fit of giggles.

He laughed in response, "Well its definitely not laughing at someone in a completely reasonable situation."

"It's not reasonable, it's silly. We have talked all summer and not once did you bring it up, but now its awkward?"

"That was through letters, so talking to you was easy because I didn't have to see you. Its easy to avoid subjects in letters" He defended, "Besides you never brought it up either."

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would be awkward when school started," I countered, "To be fair, you were the one who kissed me."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You kissed back."

I blushed and smacked his arm, "So what? That doesn't mean I had to bring it up."

"I guess I just didn't want all the 'what ifs' to conclude to us not being friends anymore," He said.

"Why on earth would you think that?" I straightened up and to face him more.

"Well," He paused, "I don't know. I thought I messed up."

"If you messed up, would I have really kissed you back?" I questioned reasonably.

"No I guess you wouldn't," He chuckled, "But I have been known to be extremely irresistible. You have been intimidated by my good looks and charms before."

I burst into a fit a giggles again, slumping back on the couch, "You're a jackass."

We both laughed for a moment. After we had both calmed down Sirius cleared his throat a bit to ask, "So do you think it's a little stupid for us to keep on pretending this whole "friends" things is working out perfectly?"

His head was resting back on the couch and he rolled it to look at me.

"Being friends is always a good start," I replied and looked at him, "So ask your question."

"But you've already given me an answer," He said with a smile.

"What if I've changed my mind?" I countered.

He raised his eyebrows at me, a gestured I only gave a smile to answers.

"Fine," He huffed, "Juliet, would you be my girlfriend?"

I chewed on my lip for a moment. Here we are slouched on a couch in the common room after the welcome back feast. How I lasted this long without kissing him is beside me. So that is what I do. I lean over to him and press my lips to his. His hand automatically reaches to cup my face as his kisses me back.

Who knew after all these years I'd like kissing Sirius Black so much.

Once our lips parted I smiled, "Does that answer your question?"

"I'm not sure it does, you're going to have to run that by me again."

He cuts off my laughter by kissing me again.

()()()

So I decided to wait to tell Lily, she was only half awake when I finally made it upstairs for bed. By the time we had gotten up and downstairs for breakfast it crossed my mind that I should probably tell her. Hm, but how?

Well I can't write it out on a cake, so I might as well come out and say it.

"Oh, I should probably tell you that Sirius and I are together," I casually told her not bothering to look up from my breakfast.

The clank of her fork hitting the plate brought my attention to her. I raised my eyebrow at her blank expression.

"What have I done to deserve such a casual friend like you? Saying things like that in such a casual manner," She stared at me blankly.

"Well I would have told you last night, but I was tired and you were practically asleep already," I shrugged.

"Oh shut up and tell me what happened," She urged eagerly.

I went on to explain to her everything that happened last night and by the time I finished she was giggling like a first year. No joke, there were a couple of first years listening in and giggling as well.

I shot them a disapproving look telling them it rude to listen in on other people's conversations. That caused them to turn bright red and turn away.

I turned back to Lily, "stop being a bad influence."

"I can't help it that you can be so adorable," She said.

"I know, its so hard to live like this," I sighed dramatically, "How can I go on like this? When will it ever end?"

"Oh hush now," She rolled her eyes and continued with her breakfast, "wait, does this mean I'm going to be forced to witness all your lovey-dovey crap with him? Cause I don't think I have a stomach strong enough to handle that."

"Do you really think I'm that kind of friend?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, but I need to be sure. You know, just in case."

"You're impossible Lily," I said making her grin.

"I'm aware," she held onto her grin for a moment longer before stuffing her face gracefully with her breakfast.


	15. Chapter 15

Weeks later, school got into full swing and 6th year has proven to be just as bad as 5th because now that the O.W.L.S are out of the way, its time to move onto the N.E.W.T.S. Here is where I cheer in a sarcastic manner.

Currently Remus and I were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, though neither of us were eating. Remus was being a good friend and reading my essay that is due in less than twenty minutes.

"You're such a slow reader," I complained as my patience grew thin.

"The more you complain, the slower I read," He said as his eyes continued down the page.

I pouted but remained quite. I opted out for annoyingly drumming my fingers on the table.

He huffed handing my paper back to me, "It's good and you're annoying."

"You're not just saying its good because I have no time at all to rewrite it or do you actually think its good?" I questioned looking over my essay again.

"No, Its actually good," He verified.

I chewed on my lip looking from my essay to him and back again, "It must be terrible. I'm gonna fail."

He rolled his eyes, "You should have had me read it last night if you're this worried about it."

"It wasn't finished last night."

He laughed as his friend Peter scurried over to sit across from us. I never really spoke to Peter, mostly because whenever I did he seemed really uncomfortable.

"Hey Remus, can I ask you something?" Peter asked Remus. To me it looked like he was trying to make himself smaller to hide himself despite us being at an open table.

I respected his discomfort and acted as if my essay in my hands was the most fascinating object I've come across.

"Sure Wormtail, what's up?" Remus responded kindly.

"I uh… this girl asked me to go on the next Hogsmeade trip with her. To which I answered yes, but then she asked me to have lunch with her today," Peter started to explain -aw, okay this was a bit adorable-, "Do you think she wants to be my girlfriend?"

"Is this the small Hufflepuff girl from the library? The one who helped you with your Herbology homework?" Remus asked.

From my peripheral vision I saw Peter nod.

"First of all, nice she's very cute," Remus complimented, "Second of all, It does sound like she is very interested in you, but it's all up to the both of you if there will even be a relationship. Are you interested in her?"

Again I saw Peter quickly nod to his kind friend.

"My best advice, which might I add hasn't failed, is to take it slow and see how things go. Maybe you'll start dating and maybe you won't. It's all up to you," Remus said and I couldn't keep myself from suspiciously looking at Remus, "What?"

"This is the same advice you gave Sirius isn't it?" I questioned.

He grinned, "You bet."

I shook my head at him attempting to find a way to be mad at him.

"See Wormtail? Take that advice because it has been proven to work by yours truly," Remus said gesturing to me, "You could end up like Juliet and Padfoot and be in a relationship. A rather healthy one might I add."

I shrugged off his compliment, "Hey it might have taken us a year, but we took the time to get to really know each other."

"I know, exactly why your relationship is a good one," Remus agreed, "All thanks to me."

"Wow, Remus you're so modest," I rolled my eyes.

"What's this about Moony's modesty?"

I looked up just as Sirius joined us for some last minute breakfast.

"Oh nothing, Remus was just being is usual relationship guru self," I said making Remus roll his eyes. "Oh we're also his scientific evidence on how his advice actually works."

"Moony, If you're gonna use us to make a profit then you'll have to give us a share," Sirius said.

"Understandable," Remus said getting up, "We'll talk business later so we can head to class now."

"Alright, we'll be in contact Mr. Lupin."

With a sarcastic nod from Remus he left with Peter to head to class.

"Come on, We need to head to class as well," I said slipping my hand into his.

"Alright, I suppose," He sighed while getting up and walking out of the Great Hall with me, "Even though there are so many other things we could be doing right now."

I raised my eyebrows at him, "I'm not going to even ask what you have to suggest, because I am not cutting class."

"I'll just pretend that you have," He paused, "What a lovely question my Juliet, an example could be saying good morning to my beautiful girlfriend."

Before I could resort he pulled me to a stop before leaning in to kiss me.

"Good morning love," He smiled.

"Good morning to you too Sirius, but I'm not cutting class so lets go," I smiled tugging on his hand to get him walking again.

He groaned childishly, "But that was suppose to work."

"Aw, that's a shame," I gave him a fake pout as we walked into class and sat in our seats.

"We are suppose to be good examples for Moony's business. How can we keep that up if I can't woo you out of our morning classes?" He questioned.

"I guess we'll have to work around it."

He pretends to be grumpy about it for the rest of class and when we part ways. How I ever saw past his childish exterior I'll never know.

()()()

Once I reach my free period, I go and meet up with Lily at the library who looked rather frazzled.

"Uh-oh," I sat down across from her, "I know that look. What happened?"

She sighed, "Nothing I'm just really annoyed right now and have school work I would much rather be focusing on right now."

"Alright, I can help with that. Did you need me to read over your potions essay?" I innocently asked.

"You're rubbish in potions why would I want you to read my essay?"

"I really good at essays though. It's not so much the content, but the act of persuading teachers through my words that I know what I'm talking about," I explained, "My confidence in my words are where all my excellent grades come in."

"You're always freaking out and having Remus or I read them because you think they suck."

"Every hero must have their faults," I said with a straight face ignoring her laughter, "Sometimes I feel as if my confidence reeks of the bullshit I put into my essays and I fear that one day a teacher will notice."

"You're impossible," She laughed, "Fine, read my essay if it'll shut you up."

"That's rather rude," I commented as she handed me her essay.

We sat silently as I read over her essay a few times and she worked on her homework. Once she was about finished up I gave her back her essay, with more than a few sarcastic comments.

"So you want to tell me what put you in such a bad mood?" I asked when she closed her book.

She sighed shoving the book in her bag, "I just got in an argument with Potter earlier."

"Ah, I understand now," I said.

"I'm not trying to be angry with it, I would just rather be focused on other things," She went on.

"Like all this homework all of our very lovely professors give us."

"Exactly," She nodded letting out a laugh.

"Speaking of which I've heard from some Hufflepuffs that we have a pop quiz in defense today," I informed her.

She rolled her eyes, "That new teacher likes pop quizzes a little too much."

"I'm a firm believer in outlawing pop quizzes."

"But it doesn't really have much effect on us since the morning class always spreads the word," She said.

"Yes, but those poor Hufflepuffs had to suffer and I can't allow that any longer. Stop the abuse on Hufflepuffs and get rid of pop quizzes now," I defended.

"You'd make a great political figure," Lily observed.

I grinned, "I know, I should be minister."

"I can see the headlines now, 'Minister of Magic, Juliet Walker, Outlaws Pop Quizzes Forever,' the people will love you."

I scoffed, "More like, "Minister of Magic, Juliet Walker, Get Shit Done,' the people will really love me then."

"All because you know how to get shit done?"

"Precisely."

"Well Minister, we should really head to class for this pop quiz," She suggested getting up.

Sighing I got up, "One day the pain will be over. One day."

"Come on, drama queen."

"You know, I think I've already changed my mind," I said while we walked to class, "I don't think I could be a good Minister. The job doesn't seem very appealing to me."

"Yeah, I can understand that. I don't want to be the person to blame when things are messy," Lily agreed.

"I'll just stand on the sideline and wave my little flag of support, or not, it depends on what's going on really," I mused over my thoughts, "I'll just stay out of it."

Later on, Lily and I found ourselves lounging around the common room reading. Remus joined us sometime ago and we all fell into a comfortable silence. I was just reading my charms book to prepare for an upcoming test, but nonetheless the book had my full attention. That is until I felt something touch my arm. Deja vu hit me and I was once again in the dark living room.

I reacted the same way as I had when I woke up in the hospital. I shrieked jumping away from the touch while also throwing my book instinctively away from me.

This time it was Sirius that was standing with wide eyes looking at me. In fact, everyone was looking at me.

"Sorry," I quickly said, "You just startled me."

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, fine. I was just wasn't expecting that, too focused on my reading thats all," I assured probably more myself than anyone else listening. Anyone seems to be everyone in the common room. "I'm just…"

Feeling really uncomfortable with all the unwanted attention I got out of the common room as fast as possible. I made it down the stairs and into an open and empty hallway before Sirius could catch up with me.

"Hey what happened?"

"Nothing, you just startled me thats all," I repeated running my hand through my hair.

"That wasn't just being startled Juliet," He said.

"I know, I'm sorry," I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose momentarily, "My attention was just all on my book and then when you grabbed my arm my mind just went back to that stupid attack from over the summer."

"Bloody hell Juliet don't be sorry for that. I should have gotten your attention first, I'm sorry," He said and pulled me to his chest to wrap his arms around me, "I thought I did something wrong and didn't know."

I took a moment with my head buried in his chest and arms wrapped around him before speaking again, "No, you did nothing wrong. I guess I'm just a little jumpy when I get lost in my head."

"I'm sorry, although I should probably be more sorry for Remus seeing as I made you throw your book at him," He chuckled.

I pulled my head away to look at him, "I hit Remus with my book? Oh Merlin now I feel bad for running away before I noticed."

"Trust me when I say that being hit by your book isn't the worst Remus has had," He assured and kissed my forehead.

"I still feel bad. He was just an innocent bystander who got hit with a book because his friend got scared," I said.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you, but if he doesn't you'll probably have to move to a different country."

"That's a shame, although traveling the world doesn't sound too bad," I pondered.

"Where would you go first?"

"I don't know, maybe Ireland first then make my way around Europe."

"Sounds like exile would be nice for you," He grinned.

"Just imagine all the different food."

He laughed and we pulled out of our hug. Absentmindedly starting to walk hand in hand.

"What about you? Where would you go if you were forced to leave?" I rested my head on his arm as we walked.

"I don't know, I think I'm too attached to my friends to ever leave any of them even if my life depended on it," He replied.

"So what, you would just stay in hiding?"

"Yeah, I guess. I have the desire for adventures but without my friends they seem less appealing," He shrugged.

"That doesn't put my answer to shame at all."

"But that doesn't mean if I'm given the opportunity I wouldn't travel the world with you."

I smiled, "And we'll eat all the food we can try?"

"To the last bite."

* * *

fair warning, the next chapter is going to be a huge jump. (reason being that a lot of what I have planned for this story in my head takes place 7th year and after. so sorry. I'm terrible) I hope everyone understands and likes it. Also the next update might take a while for me to post because I have a lot of school work I need to focus on, but I'm not abandoning the story so don't worry there will be more just in time.


	16. Chapter 16

I could bore everyone with the painstaking long and exhausting year of school, but I don't think I will. It would mostly be just everyone doing one homework assignment after another, hearing more terrible news about the war going on in the outside world, and everyone got along really well 100% of the time.

Okay thats a lie. I'm not sure how I thought I could fool myself with that. Lily bickered with James a lot. It's very clear to me that this might be because she actually is learning to like him, but I can understand why she doesn't approve of her own feelings. She'll get there.

As silly and naive as I may sound, I'm really happy with how my relationship with Sirius developed. Ignore anyones complaint about having found us snogging in various places, (its true but I mean like, come on, can you blame us), they're just a little grumpy about "losing their innocence." I for a fact can state that none of them had any to begin with. Don't let that book in his nose fool you, Remus is just a mischievous as the rest of his friends.

The summer went by better than the last. I got to see Lily more and hang out with Sirius on occasion. All because Dumbledore let me keep my sanity, bless. Sirius is currently over right now helping me pack before going back to Hogwarts for our last year, and by helping I mean he's laying on my bed petting my cat who is more than okay with this attention.

I sat myself on the floor folding my clothes before putting them in my trunk along with all of my school supplies and books.

"I'm starting to realize what you mean about this cat liking me more," Sirius commented while still petting the cat that laid across his stomach.

"Well of course he does just look at that face, I don't understand it," I shook my head folding another skirt while my cat squinted his face with pure happiness.

"I guess I just have a calling with calming animals," He chuckled more to himself.

"Right, but the thing is my cat is usually calm and lazy, but when you're around he's just downright excited and loveable," I said looking at the almost face of pure joy on my little, very large, cat.

Sirius laughed making Cooley look alarmed from his movement.

I finished up with the last of my clothes and mentally double checked that I had everything before closing my trunk. Once I got it closed Cooley jumped off of Sirius the perch himself on top of my trunk. The cats face squinted with pride from his new location.

I got up only to sit back down on my bed, "Ready to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow?"

"More than ever," He mischievously grinned.

"You're planning on causing lots of trouble already aren't you?" I didn't really have to question.

"Juliet I'm offended you would even have to ask, of course. It's our last year and the best year to cause the most trouble," He said seriously, which could be said for the earnest tone in his voice or the fact that this is Sirius and he and the rest of the marauders will cause trouble.

I rolled my eye but smiled as I laid down next to him, "Just don't go and get yourself expelled."

"I promise. Oh did I tell you that James is Head Boy?" He suddenly asked.

"No you didn't, huh, I wonder how that worked out," I pondered.

"I don't know, McGonagall has a bit of a soft spot for him so maybe she had something to do with it," He said thoughtfully,

"No matter, I bet he'll be even happier to learn that Lily got named Head Girl," I said.

"You're kidding."

"Not at all."

"Well, she's in for a shock," He chuckled.

"No kidding," I smiled just thinking about how red-faced and angry Lily would probably get over hearing this news. That may sound mean, but I'm her best friend and she tells me everything. Like a little crush she may or may not have. Of course I don't tell anyone else her maybe little secret so Sirius still thinks she hates James and I'm okay with that. It's something I can live with.

We fell into a comfortable silence and I turned on my side facing him. Just as my eyes as slipped close Sirius spoke again making them flutter back open. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course you can," I smiled taking his hand in mine.

He sat up the bed pulling me with him.

"Well, it's kind of a big one but it's something I really want to tell you."

I studied him for a moment, "I'm listening."

"For starters I'm an animagus, an unregistered one at that," He said but sounded a little bit unsure of himself, "And the reason I've never told you was because the reason I became one - well James, Peter and I became one - was for Remus."

My head tilted slightly as he paused.

"Alright, I'm going to be blunt, but secrets are hard to tell when they're not really yours to tell. But, this is something the guys and I talked about and Remus was too nervous to tell you himself so he wanted me to," He continued.

"I'm not sure I understand."

He took a deep breath, "Juliet, Remus is a werewolf and James, Peter and I learned how to become an animagus so he wouldn't be alone in his transformations."

My eyes involuntarily widened in shock and wonder.

"Wow," I manage, "You guys really do that for him?"

"Yeah… well of course. You're-you're not mad or scared or like on the verge of freaking out then turning us into the authorities?" He stumbled over his words.

"Of course not, why would I do that?"

He shrugged, "I guess I just kept thinking of the worst possible situation. Not everyone is okay with finding out your friend is a werewolf."

"Well not everyone is okay with muggleborns to the point where there is a war going on, but you all seem to like me. Plus it's Remus, I couldn't hate him it's impossible," I said, "But you guys are with him every full moon?"

"At school at least. He's tamer with us around and he's less likely to hurt himself or others," He explained with a growing smile on his face.

"That's pretty neat," I commented.

There was a knock on the open door of my room as my aunt peered in.

"Hate to call an end to a day but it is getting rather late and you both have a train to catch in the morning," She said.

"Alright," I said looking at Sirius, "You should probably head back to James' and make sure you have everything packed."

"I told you, I already did that."

"Just making sure."

My aunt laughed before going down the hall. I got up to walk with Sirius downstairs to the fireplace where he would use the floo network to go back to the Potters, but he stopped me before we reached the door to pull me into an embrace.

"What was that for?" I asked dazed as his lips left mine.

"For being more understanding than I thought you were," He smiled.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you to get to know a girl before you date her?" I teased.

"Now that you mention it, I might have heard that somewhere before."

"One could only wonder."

Sirius laughed cupping my face in his hands.

"Can I tell you another secret?" He face grew softer.

"Two in one night, aren't I a lucky girl," I smiled.

"I love you, Juliet," He said.

I felt my breath catch in my throat, for a moment I was absolutely stunned. I never thought that something like this would happen. The look on his face, filled with nothing but love, made me feel dizzy, "Sirius..," a smile spread across my lips and before kissing him again I replied, "I love you too."

()()()

The following day on the train Sirius, Remus, Peter and I were all talking and eating in a compartment together when Lily burst in.

"I have been looking for you for ages," She sighed in relief.

"Hello to you too," I laughed as she grabbed my arm to pull me with her.

"Having an emergency," She said and gave the guys a smile, "Just gonna borrow her for a second."

Quicker than she enter, she pulled me out of the compartment.

"Lily, what is going on?" I demanded as she pulled me into an empty compartment.

"How the bloody hell did Potter become Head Boy?" She questioned in a panicked tone, "Are the professors out of their minds? Have they all finally lost it? What am I supposed to do? I can't do this all year long. I'll go insane."

"Slow down Lily, I think you already have," I put my hands on her shoulders, "Take a deep breath and try to not say everything all at once."

She nodded and took a deep breath before releasing it.

"Good, now did something happen other than finding out James is Head Boy?" I really hope James didn't do anything stupid.

"We bickered a little bit," She said and her face turned as red as her hair.

"And?"

She bit her lip looking awfully guilty. There could only be one reason for her to look that guilty.

"You didn't."

"I did," She confirmed keeping her eyes down.

"Bloody hell. Well what happened, how did this happen?"

"I was a bit shocked that he was Head Boy, but I got through the meeting and everything just fine. It wasn't until a bit later when we were alone that he just really irritated me so we started arguing over the stupid possibility of him being Head Boy," She paused giving me time to nod, "So that led to me insulting his intelligence-"

"Naturally."

"And he just complimented me-"

"Naturally."

"I was just so annoyed at that point and everything in my head was saying to slap him but I ended up kissing him instead," She finished.

"Was it good?" I ask only the important questions.

"Well yeah it-That is not the point Juliet! The point is that I kissed him and I am freaking the hell out right now! Help me. Do something. Be my best friend," She pouted.

"Okay, well what happened after you kissed him?"

"I ran like hell to find you."

"Did he like say anything? Try to stop you? Teenage boy too hormonally stunned to function by your beauty?" I questioned.

"I'm gonna go with that last one."

"Well other than being completely freaked out how would you describe how you feel about the fact that you kissed him?

She shrugged, "Freaked out pretty much sums it up."

"You do know that it's alright to admit that you like him right?"

"But-"

"No but's. I'm going to treat this exactly how you handled my situation with Sirius. So what if you haven't been friends with James before you kissed him, that doesn't mean you don't have feelings for him. So you both need to just sit down and talk it out," I laid down the law which was just giving her a taste of her own medicine.

"I hate when my advice is so good that you have to use it against me," She muttered bitterly.

"I know, you're amazing, but this is what best friends are for," I gave her a supportive smile.

She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you're right. I'll think about it. Anyways, what's up? How is my friend? I feel like it's been ages since I last saw you."

"Yeah I know, It was just last week but it still feels like forever," I agreed, "Not much is up though I hung out with Sirius yesterday and-Oh!" I gasped suddenly, "I didn't see you this morning and I forgot that I had something to tell you!"

"Well what is it? You seem excited over this."

"Something happened last night," I started.

"Oh merlin, please tell me that you didn't," She interrupted.

"Lily!" I exclaimed smacking her arm, "Just because you snogged James Potter today doesn't mean you need to have your mind in the gutter."

"Hey now, that is not even fair," She rubbed her arm, "But you didn't right?"

"No Lily I didn't," I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Can I just get on with telling you what actually happened?"

"Yes, sorry I'm just looking out for your uterus," She apologized.

"My uterus and I thank you," I told her before taking a deep breath, "He told me that he loves me."

She gasped, "Really? When? How? Where? What?"

"Uh, yes and last night before he left," I bit my lip.

"Do you feel the same way?" She asked in a careful tone.

My cheeks felt hot and I looked away from her as I nodded yes.

"Aww," She gushed, "You're being so cute. I could just pinch your cheeks right off."

"You are so embarrassing."

Later that night, after a very filling welcome back feast, we were all relaxing around a fire in the common room until one by one everyone was making their way to bed for the night. Remus, Sirius and I were the only ones left. Remus was closest to the fire slouching in a chair reading a book while Sirius and I were curled up on a couch together.

"I think Remus is sleeping," I mumbled.

"I'm not sleeping," Remus replied fluttering his eyes to seem awake.

"Then why haven't you turned the page in the past five minutes?" Sirius questioned.

"It's an interesting page," He defended before failing to fight of a yawn.

"I totally believe you," I lied catching his yawn, "but maybe we should all head to bed. It's pretty late."

"I think that if I move my body will resent me forever," Sirius mumbled.

"No good would come out of moving," Remus agreed.

"Beside love, you have to tell us what freaked Lily out so much earlier," Sirius added playfully.

I rolled my eyes, "I know James already told you."

"Yeah but Lily definitely said more than James did. All he said was, "she kissed me," with a permanent fuck-struck look his eyes," He grumbled.

"You should know all about best friend confidentiality and why I'm not telling you what Lily told me," I said.

His silence told me that I was right or that he fell asleep.

"I think I'm actually going to head up to bed now," Remus said closing his book, "Coming Sirius?"

With a bit of a stretch we both sat up, "Yeah I guess," Sirius replied then gave me a kiss, "See you in the morning."

"Good night," I said and gave him another kiss. The three of us got up with some physical protest before heading to our dorms for the night.

* * *

okay wow. I'm sorry that updating is taking me forever. All the usual excuses with school, life, motivation. You know. The works. Anyways I got this bit done and decided after reading it over and over that it was time to post it. Sorry if the jump to too large but this is where I felt more comfortable with where I want this story to go. Hope you like.


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